Match-fixing in tennis rocks Australian Open
Jan 19, 8:29 AM
A report alleging widespread match-fixing in Tennis rocked the Australian Open as the year’s first Grand Slam began yesterday. The BBC and online BuzzFeed News claimed that 16 top players in the past decade, including Grand Slam champions, had been repeatedly suspected of fixing matches for betting syndicates.
The report, based on secret files leaked by a group of anonymous whistle-blowers, claimed that three suspect matches were at Wimbledon. The BBC and BuzzFeed said, eight of the players under suspicion were taking part in the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Association of Tennis Professionals, ATP Chief Chris Kermode said, the timing of the report was disappointing and rejected any suggestion that match-fixing had been covered up. He told reporters in Melbourne that while the reports mainly refer to events from about 10 years ago, ATP will investigate any new information.
Meanwhile, Australian player Thanasi Kokkinakis has said, he was approached to fix matches. He said, he had been offered bribes by randoms on social media to lose. His claim came a day after world number one Novak Djokovic said that he was offered 2 lakh US dollars to lose a match in 2006.
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