The tennis world is in turmoil. According to information from Buzzfeed and the BBC, 70 players are suspected of rigging matches in the last ten years, in connection with fraudulent paris. 16 of them are among the top 50, and some are winners of Grand Slam.
“In the last decade, 16 of the top 50 global players were reported to Ethics Committee tennis about match-fixing suspicions. All these players, among where winners of Grand Slam, were allowed to continue their careers “, accusing the BBC on Sunday evening.
The two media, which cites no name players, claim to have had access to evidence widespread corruption contained in the secret archives. These documents are linked in particular to a 2007 survey by the ATP, the governing body of professional circuit, and show that punters groups in the north of Italy, Sicily and Russia have bet hundreds of thousands dollars over match-fixing, including three at Wimbledon and Roland Garros.
U n group of players of lesser importance, based in France, has also been identified by investigators. According to the BBC:
The confidential report of the investigators for the Ethics Committee, which dates from 2008, suggested that investigations are carried out into 28 players, but it was never acted upon. “
According to these media, eight players reported to the ethics committee are listed on the Australian Open which begins … Monday in Melbourne.
Djokovic reveals he was approached in 2007
According to one of the investigators, Mark Phillips, told the BBC, “a group of about ten players was most often implicated and was at the root of the problem. The evidence was strong, there was a good chance to kill (corruption) in the bud, to create a strong deterrent and eliminate corrupt elements. “
According to information from BuzzFeed, the Representatives of illegal betting groups would contact the players in their hotel rooms during major tournaments and promised them $ 50,000 (45,000 euros) o u more rewards to rig their game.
The site also analyzed paris activities on 26,000 matches. According to the study, 15 players “ regularly lost” some matches yet widely in scope and for which many paris against them had been registered Buzzfeed reveals:.
A Player Top 50, which now contributes to the Australian Open, is suspected of rigging his first systematically set. “
In response to these revelations, world number 1 Novak Djokovic said he had himself been the victim of ‘attempted bribery in 2007: Serbian assured that he had lived this attempt, intended to make him lose one of its matches at the tournament in St. Petersburg
“ I was approached indirectly through people who worked with me at the time. Obviously, we immediately said no. The person who was trying to contact me even not arrive to me, “said the world number 1, who had already raised this matter in the past.
ATP she stifled the scandal?
The documents, most of which are in possession of ATP, show that these alleged involvement in paris .? fakes of some players has been paid, at least since 2008, to the knowledge of the body of world tennis Does A concealed the evidence quoted by Buzzfeed, Mark Phillips laments:
On . everything comes to them with a gift package, and they did nothing “
From Melbourne, the president of the ATP Chris Kermode has denied any attempt retraction:” The authorities of tennis reject any allegation that evidence of match-fixing have been hidden or not would be subject to a thorough investigation. “
Our approach is the zero tolerance to all forms of corruption. We are not complacent, we are vigilant, “he said.
About the 2007 survey, he claimed that the investigation of a questionable match between Russian Nikolay Davydenko and Martin Vassallo Arguello of Argentina had not provided sufficient evidence.
“We need evidence, not suspicion or hearsay,” he added, noting that 18 penalties for corruption had been handed down, six to life suspensions. The ATP had until 2009 to introduce anti-corruption rules … But these are not retroactive.
and EG TV with AFP
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