A new withdrawal penalty system has been introduced to help combat the growing problem of player withdrawals and non-appearances at events - which have a negative impact on competition experience for many players and their parents.

Players will not be unduly penalised for the occasional withdrawal, particularly where adequate notice is given, although players who withdraw at short notice, during a competition or fail to appear for events, will be more heavily penalised.

The need to submit medical evidence to substantiate a withdrawal on the ground of injury or illness has been discontinued and no longer applies. The new system applies regardless of why a player withdraws and focuses on when the withdrawal occurs.

In the TennisUK matchplays.com programme a separate penalty system will apply and will help deal with the increasing problem of players who complete one match and withdraw before starting their next match, leaving frustrated opponents with no second match. Players who arrive late for TennisUK matchplays.com events will also be penalised too. Delayed arrivals have resulted in events finishing late and in some cases, matches have had to be abandoned at the expiry of our court booking time which is very disappointing to the players concerned.

Click here to visit the FAQ section of our website to read the full article and to find out more details about the new system.

Tennis Services UK Limited

23rd March 2010