GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images An investigative report suggests there was match-fixing at Wimbledon within the last 10 years.
Several top-ranked tennis players over the last 10 years, which include Grand Slam winners, have been involved in match-fixing and the tennis authorities did little about it, according to an investigation from BBC and Buzzfeed UK.[1][2]
The report reveals an investigation began in 2007 after a suspicious match between Nikolay Davydenko and Martín Vassallo Arguello.
Both men were cleared of any wrongdoing but it led to a wider investigation in 2008, which discovered evidence of match-fixing in major tournaments, including Wimbledon, which involved a core group of 16 players ranked inside the top 50.
Gambling syndicates in Russia and Italy were also found to make "hundreds AND thousand of pounds" off matches investigators suspected of being fixed.
Tennis authorities were repeatedly warned about this group of players but they never faced any discipline.
No specific player was named in the report because there was no direct link between the players and gamblers.
The investigation led to the creation of the Tennis Integrity Unit, whose job is to police the sport.
According to Buzzfeed UK,[3] the TIU failed to respond when bookmakers warned them about suspicious matches and "often did not follow up to request in-depth information – such as the betting history and computer details of the suspicious gamblers – to which only bookmakers have access. Without that information, a thorough investigation would be virtually impossible."
Among the players suspected were a US Open champion, doubles Wimbledon winners and a current top 50 player expected to compete in the Australian Open.
References
- ^ investigation from BBC (www.bbc.com)
- ^ Buzzfeed UK. (www.buzzfeed.com)
- ^ According to Buzzfeed UK, (www.buzzfeed.com)
- ^ tennis (www.nydailynews.com)
- ^ wimbledon (www.nydailynews.com)
- ^ u.s. open tennis (www.nydailynews.com)
