Corruption rfe, elite duo alleges
Corruption rfe, elite duo alleges 
From correspondents in Paris
Former Australian Captain August 31, 2007
MATCH-fixing, some of which is linked to internet gambling, is not uncommon in professional tennis, according to a damaging report in L’Equipe overnight.
Two elite players made the claims, under anonymity, in an interview with the France sports daily, claiming they have witnessed matches being “thrown” and that they have personally been offered bribes.
The
allegations come in the wake of the controversy surrounding Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko, who is the subject of an ATP enquiry.
Davydenko recenty pulled out a match injured on the same day that large sums of money had been bet on his defeat by Argentina’s Martin Vassallo Arguello.
Betfair, an internet gambling website, refused to pay out on Davydenko’s defeat. Seven million dollars ($8.6 million) in wagers, 10 times more than normal for such a match, swung to Arguello even after Davydenko won the first set.
The unnamed sources in L’Equipe’s report called on the sport’s authorities to act, “before things get out of hand”.
“I know several players who have been approached, and who had the exact same experience as me,” said one player, identified only as Mister B, who claimed he had been approached physically by someone offering him $US50,000 ($61,000) to lose a match.
He added: “Not for one second did I believe it was a joke. 50,000 dollars is more than what I would have got for getting to the semi-final in this tournament, and it was tax-free cash.
“I refused his offer straight away, but I was left wondering what direction we’re going in.”
The other player, identified as Mister A, said the availability of internet terminals in the players lounges has given rise to tennis coaches gambling on matches.
“If you look on the internet terminals in the players’ lounges you will see that the gambling sites are very popular. I think that about 60-80 per cent of coaches are betting,” said Mister A.
“I personally know a lot of guys who are internet betting.”
Mister A said he believes he has seen a Masters series match “being thrown”, but admitted: “I’ve seen matches being thrown, and not just in the smaller tournaments, I’ve seen one in the Masters for example.
“But it’s difficult to say whether it’s linked to internet betting.”
Agence France-Presse