Australian Open Tennis Match Under Scrutiny for Possible Match-fixing

(ATR) A mixed doubles match at the Australian Open that reportedly was the focus of suspicious betting patterns is being investigated by the sport’s Tennis Integrity Unit.

The match in question saw Lukasz Kubot and Andrea Hlavackova defeat David Marrero and Lara Arruabarrena 6-0, 6-3 on Sunday. The New York Times reported that the gambling website Pinnacle Sports said it suspended betting on the match after receiving an unusual spike in bets in the hours before it began.

All four players reportedly denied that there was any possibility the match was fixed. Marrero and Arruabarrena made their denials to the Times on Sunday with Marrero blaming his knee injury for their struggles. Kubot said Monday that he and Hlavackova were interviewed by the Tennis Integrity Unit. According to the Associated Press, Kubot said that he didn’t notice anything unusual on the court.

Just a week ago, the BBC and BuzzFeed News reported that 16 players – including winners of Grand Slam titles – who were ranked in the world's top 50 over the past decade were repeatedly flagged to TIU over suspicions they fixed matches. None of them was sanctioned.

No players were named because of libel issues but the report also said that eight players investigated during the past decade were among those in the main draw for the Australian Open when it opened last week. Tennis authorities immediately rejected the charges that they suppressed evidence of match-fixing amid allegations of corruption.

Written by Gerard Farek

Homepage photo: Getty

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