Australian Open, Pro Tennis Reject Match Fixing Claims

by Staff | January 18th, 2016, 7:33 am
  • 12 Comments

A match fixing allegation rocked day one at the Australian Open Monday in Melbourne. A report from the BBC/Buzzfeed suggested that the Tennis Integrity Unit was suppressing or dismissing past match fixing allegations and evidence.

“16 players who have ranked in the top 50 have been repeatedly flagged to the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) over suspicions they have thrown matches,” the report said without revealing names, some of those are said to be Grand Slam champions.

The report also centered on the infamous Nikolay Davydenko-Martin Vassallo Arguello match from 2007 in Sopot.


Both guys were cleared, but this new report claims to have evidence of that illegal betting took place and the since-formed TIU did little about it.

With such allegations looming, ATP CEO Chris Kermode met the press, denying the report.

“The Tennis Integrity Unit and tennis authorities absolutely reject any evidence of match fixing has been suppressed for any reason or isn’t thoroughly being investigated,” Kermode said.

“And while the BBC and BuzzFeed reports mainly refer to events from about 10 years ago, we will investigate any new information, and we always do. In its investigations, the Tennis Integrity Unit has to find evidence as opposed to information, suspicion, or hearsay. This is the key here, that it requires evidence.

“A year-long investigation into the Sopot match in 2007 found insufficient evidence. As the BuzzFeed report states itself, the investigators hit a brick wall and it just wasn’t possible to determine who the guilty party was in relation to this match.”

BBC/Buzzfeed stated they have the names of the players, some of whom are playing at the Australian Open this week. It remains to be seen if they release the names.

“We have built an international reputation for the integrity of the tournament and the anti-corruption systems we have in place,” Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said.

“In conjunction with world tennis we have developed leading anti-doping, disciplinary, anti-corruption and security policies. All involved in the administration of the Australian Open will not tolerate any deviations from our values and rules at any level.

“Of course the deliberate timing of this story is far from ideal for our event. But the important issue here is that we stamp out any form of corruption in tennis.”


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12 Comments for Australian Open, Pro Tennis Reject Match Fixing Claims

Humble Rafa Says:

Tennis Integrity Unit..nice. It sounds ironic.


RZ Says:

The most surprising thing in all of this is Buzzfeed’s involvement.


Wog Boy Says:

Nobody can tell me that timing of this stuff, just prior one GS tournament, is not premeditated, orchestrated and with certain intention and agenda. I mean, out of all dates to chose beginning of one GS..you cannot be serious!?
The entire GS they will be talking about that rather then tournament itself, damage has already been done.


mat4 Says:

I asked you what you thought in another thread.

I mostly agree with, although I haven’t found in the lists anything troubling yet.

The point is that those calculations are made by the betting firms almost on a daily basis, and that these data were internally available for years. I can’t imagine a betting company that doesn’t analyse abnormal betting patterns.

So, why now? Then, it’s a false flag: we all know that the TIU can’t reveal data without proof. Why this attack on the ATP?

So far, a lot of questions.


Wog Boy Says:

mat4,

I’l give you an example, do you remember “weapons of mass destruction”.. it served its purpose, though it never existed as such, few barrels of “lemon juice” this and that here and there, but it served the purpose.

What do we have here, “mass match fixing”.. few players here and there, that we alredy knew about and which we have in every sport anyway, but it will serve the purpose what ever that purpose might be, we have to wait and see.


mat4 Says:

@WB:

I don’t need examples: I know quite well how it works.

But, while I understand the reasons of the recent attacks on FIFA, this attack on the ATP isn’t clear so far.

What would be troubling now, for me at least, is that those who refuted my own use of stats to show that the draws were rigged a few years ago, could now accept the same kind of arguments about match fixing.

LOL. But cynically.


Wog Boy Says:

” I can’t imagine a betting company that doesn’t analyse abnormal betting patterns.”

Not that they analyse abnormal betting patterns, but they have a system in place, built in their software, that all betting is suspended the very moment there bug plunge or any big change in usual, or better, expecting betting patterns for certain event.
Betting is huge in Australia, unfortunately, few years ago it was sudden surge in betting that the first point in the rugby match between Cowboys and Bulldogs (my team) will be scored after penalty from the free kick, within few hours the player from my club was arrested and charged (later convicted), he was the one that made foul infront of the goal posts in the first few minutes, they got all CCTV footages from TAB (betting places) showing the people who placed big money on that particular bet and they have been interviewed and admitted their connection with that particular player. So it can be proven.


Wog Boy Says:

mat4,

LOL


Wog Boy Says:

“But, while I understand the reasons of the recent attacks on FIFA, this attack on the ATP isn’t clear so far.”

mat4,
Do you think what I think about attacks on FIFA, you don’t have to spell it, YES or NO will be quite sufficient..?


mat4 Says:

It’s political, of course. And a lot of money is at stake. A certain European country is not allowed to organize the World cup. So, YES.


Wog Boy Says:

YES from me too.


MMT Says:

Did anyone notice that Kermode used the past tense when denying the suppression of evidence, and the present tense when denying insufficient follow through investigations?

That seems a little lawyerly to me, and based on what I’ve ready, it appears that precisely the inverse of the tenses and the denials is precisely what Buzzed appears to have alleged.

Call me a cynic, but I’m getting the feeling that this is going to end badly for a few people. There’s a lot of lamb out there to be sacrificed.

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