The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : More matches under the scanner

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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
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More matches under the scanner

London: An independent panel concluded on Monday that 45 professional tennis matches from the past five years require further review because of suspicious betting patterns.

The International Tennis Federation, the ATP, the WTA Tour and the four Grand Slams published the findings of the panel in a 66-page report.

The review said that “professional tennis is neither systematically nor institutionally corrupt,” but added that 45 matches require further examination. It didn’t say which matches were still under suspicion.

The review said it had examined 73 matches over the past five years, and 45 remain under suspicion “from a betting perspective.”

“That said, we have found no evidence of any ‘Mafia’ involvement in corrupting the integrity of tennis,” the review said. “We do not doubt that criminal elements may be involved in seeking to subvert or corrupt some players-officials and that they may even involve organised criminal gangs.”

Betting in tennis came to the fore last year after fourth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko withdrew against 87th-ranked Martin Vassallo Arguello in the third set of a match in Poland because of a foot injury. An online betting site, in an unprecedented move, voided all bets on the match because of suspicious betting patterns.

Five players, all Italians, have since been found guilty of betting on tennis and have been fined or suspended.

The review panel made 15 recommendations that the four bodies accepted, including agreeing upon a uniform anti-corruption program and an integrity unit.

Another of the recommendations allows only players and essential tournament personnel to have access to the locker rooms at tournaments. The report said many believe that insider knowledge, such as a player’s injury or illness that is not widely known, gets passed on to bettors from people inside the locker rooms. — AP

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