Fantasy Tennis
Getting started with any new fantasy sport is not as straightforward as it seems, so Fantasy Football Portal are delighted to offer some tips and advice on how to play fantasy tennis….
A Beginner’s Guide to Fantasy Tennis
At the start of the 2017 season, tennis fans were given the opportunity to participate in Fantasy Tennis League, a dedicated game format that would take in all of the year’s Grand Slam tournaments as well as key ATP and WTA events. It would be based on a similar format to what fantasy football fans might be familiar with, if they have ever taken part in the Official Fantasy Premier League game. A trip to the Australian Open was up for grabs for the winner along with monthly prizes, as managers competed against each other by selecting a squad of tennis players for the season based on various criteria.
While this format might appeal to die-hard tennis fans, we feel that a model which focuses on a solitary event could be much more attractive to fantasy sports fans in general. This wouldn’t be strictly daily fantasy tennis since it would take place over 1 or 2 weeks rather than 1 day but it would be much more streamlined.
However, before we dwell any further on that, lets’ first discuss exactly what fantasy tennis is.
What is fantasy tennis?
The concept is fairly simple. You will be required to select a ‘stable’ of tennis players who will then earn points based on how they perform throughout a tournament. Each member of your squad will have the chance to accumulate points in each match he or she participates in. You then total all the points your team members rack up to get an overall score. Your aim is to finish with a higher overall score than any other manager you are competing against.
The game operator will set up a number of guidelines that you must adhere to when selecting your squad.
These could relate to:
(1) Sex (male or female) – with minimum requirements specified
(2) Salary restrictions whereby each tennis player is given a hypothetical valuation but managers are not allowed to exceed a stipulated amount when compiling their squad or no budget at all
(3) Seeding/draw restrictions limiting the amount of players that can be selected from a specific player group
You will choose the type of contest that you want to enter then begin constructing your squad. Contests might have set entry fees or be free to play, while the number of permitted entries in the field might be capped at x amount of entries. A pre-determined prize structure should also be outlined, so that you know exactly what you can win and it’s possible that prize money might also be distributed according to your overall finishing position.
Each tennis player you select will then earn points based on his/her performance in every match that they play in which is part of the contest. The scoring rules will be clearly displayed by the game operator but could include any of the following:
- Winning the tournament
- Reaching final/semi-final
- Winning a match
- Winning in straight sets
- Defeating a better ranked player
- Serving an ace
- Being penalised for each double fault
- Break points won
- Winning a set
- Winning x amount of games in a set
- Winning a tie-break
- Winning a set to 0
Your aim is to select players that are likely to go deep in a tournament, since the more matches they play, the greater their chances are of scoring heavily. You will therefore need to factor in the draw since the field will be split into quarters. In Fanto’s Fantasy Wimbledon contests, for instance, where there are no salary restrictions to worry about, making it an ideal game for the fantasy tennis beginner. You are required to select 8 players, 2 of which must be from each sex and players rack up bonus points if they defeat higher seeded players. Maria Sharapova is set to miss the 2017 Wimbledon Ladies Singles through injury but if she had taken part and had been given unseeded status, she would certainly have been a lively contender to pick up some handsome bonus points under such a scoring format!
Once the event gets under way, simply sit back and enjoy the action, while tracking how well your players are performing, compared with rival managers in your selected contest!
Now you’ve got the basic idea you’re ready to find out how to play fantasy tennis in a bit more detail.