The Italian Tennis Federation announced that Italian players
Potito Starace and
Daniele Bracciali have been suspended for internet betting, with their suspensions to commence on Jan. 1 of 2008.
The 26-year-old Starace, Italy's highest-ranked player, has been suspended for six weeks and fined $30,000(US) for reportedly making five bets totalling around 90 euros two years ago.
The 29-year-old Bracciali received a three-month ban and was fined $20,000 for making around 50 five-euro bets between 2004-2005.
"Neither player has ever betted on one of his own matches," said the Italian Tennis Federation in a statement, also striking out at the ATP, the governing body of men's professional tennis. "The ATP must have known about these bets for years but they have only struck now to show that they are in some way handling this scandal."
