Clay Court Tennis – When it’s good to see red!
Tennis markets, especial Grand Slam events like the French Open, attract massive liquidity.
While horse racing markets see significant action before the off and some in-play, tennis markets are different. There’s some pre-match trading, but the majority of volume occurs during play.
The French Open is known for its unique red clay courts. For Betfair trading, understanding the impact of this surface is crucial.
Betfair trading – Getting a ‘good return’ on Clay
Research by the ATP reveals intriguing differences in point length between Wimbledon and the French Open. At Wimbledon, points average just 2.7 seconds, while on the clay courts of Roland Garros, they last about 8.2 seconds—nearly three times as long. This disparity is largely due to the return of serve.
In men’s tennis, around 40% of points are won on return when playing on clay, compared to just 34.7% on grass. Grass courts favour strong servers, making returns more challenging. For women, the difference is less pronounced, with 46.4% of points won on return on clay and 42% on grass. Despite the smaller gap, the higher return percentage in women’s matches introduces greater volatility.
This volatility is a goldmine for Betfair traders. Women’s matches at the French Open, with their higher likelihood of service breaks, offer excellent opportunities for trading. If you’re looking to open a position to trade out, focusing on competitive women’s matches at Roland Garros could be a winning strategy.
Clay comebacks
On clay courts, favourites who lose the first set have a better chance of staging a comeback. Analyzing the four Grand Slams shows that at the French Open, if the favourite wins the first set, there’s a 30% chance the outsider will lead at some point during the match. This variation is unique to clay courts.
Identifying a competitive match is straightforward—check the odds. When the starting price of the favourite is close to 2.0, the match is more competitive. With only two possible outcomes in tennis, the opponent’s odds will also be near 2.0, indicating a market split. These tight matches offer greater trading opportunities, as the lead can swing significantly.
When trading tennis, consider whether to hedge or not. Often, it’s better to keep your position as a free bet rather than hedging immediately. As a player makes a comeback, you can use the free bet to hedge at a lower value or take a new position. This strategy can be advantageous given the dynamic nature of tennis matches.
Bet Angel is EPIC for Tennis trading
Betfair trading software often feels similar, but Bet Angel Professional stands out, especially for tennis traders.
Its Tennis Trader tool is designed to help traders predict scores and odds, allowing for strategic entry and exit points based on anticipated breaks in a match. This predictive capability provides a crucial edge in understanding market movements before a match starts. Additionally, Bet Angel offers real-time live streaming of tennis scores across various interfaces, keeping traders updated on multiple matches simultaneously.
You can scan all available Tennis markets for certain score-lines and favoured set-ups and get Bet Angel to alert you or trade them automatically.
There is so much to explore if you are Betfair trading Tennis with Bet Angel. Check out our specialist Tennis Trader section!