Serena Williams set a record when she played her 79th main draw match at the Australian Open, and beat No. 90-ranked Hsieh Su-wei 6-1, 6-2. “Challenger level, those tournaments, maybe, maybe not”.
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More than 70 are suspected of throwing matches, but the vast majority have not and will not be disciplined because their alleged offenses took place before an anti-corruption rule was established in 2009.
He claimed there were three “big” groups controlling betting in tennis, with payments made to players in cash to avoid tracing bank transfers. “I think we deserve to know everything that’s sort of out there”, he added. But, the news reports said, “the findings were never followed up”.
None of the names in the report have been made public, which top-ranked players say is a mistake. “None of them was disciplined by the TIU”. “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”, said Chris Kermode.
“It was a substantial amount of money – tens of thousands – way more than I would have earned from winning the tournament and more than most players at that level would make in a year”. The betting company cancelled all the bets.
But the news reports said the investigation was expanded.
“The Tennis Integrity Unit and the tennis authorities absolutely reject any suggestion that evidence of match-fixing has been suppressed for any reason or isn’t being thoroughly investigated”, Kermode told reporters.
He says he did not accept the proposal.
Asked on Wednesday if he would take action against Tuttosport, Djokovic said: “I have nothing more to say, guys. Until someone proves it to us I don’t think we’re willing to accept it”.
“Every time I go back to Rod Laver Arena, I have these memories come back to me from the first win back in 2008, and, of course, some of the epic matches I’ve played on that court”, Djokovic said. “The evidence was really strong”.
Wawrinka believes their involvement and co-operation should be a useful tool in preventing corruption.
Roger Federer is one of those top players. If you’re innocent then you want to find out about the players who have been doing stuff, if there are any, and we want them to be prosecuted. So how high up does it go?
“Today I think Goffin was not far off losing to Dzumhur”, said Stakhovsky.
Leaked documents known as “the Fixing Files” and BuzzFeed’s own analysis of betting on 26,000 matches and interviews identified “15 players who regularly lost matches in which heavily lopsided betting appeared to substantially shift the odds”.
“I have been so sad about this the last few days”, the 18-time Grand Slam victor said.
“I can only answer for me”.
Tennis officials defended the partnership with gambling sponsors and provided an explanation that one Australian paper, The Age, called “positive topspin”.
“For tennis, it’s not good to have some corruption, but for the gambling company neither”.
“I often hear this word, ‘transparency, ‘” Kermode told CNN before Murray spoke. And not just in tennis but in all sports. He said it acts only when there is enough evidence.
“Corruption is very hard to detect and to obtain the evidence to prosecute these people”, he said. Since its inception, the TIU has disciplined 13 low-ranking male players and banned five players for fixing.
When you come on the tour, players need to be educated and have the right people to support them in those situations, I think.
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“She’s someone who can play any shot at any time from anywhere on the court”.
