Tennis: Match-fixing evidence uncovered

Files exposing evidence of suspected match-fixing within the ATP world tour have been leaked to the BBC and to BuzzFeed News. According to those files, 16 players that have been in the top 50 of the ATP have been suspected for ongoing match-fixing violations by the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU). Among those players were even a few winners of Grand Slam titles. None of the suspected players has been suspended from the ATP circuit. Chris Kermode, the head of the ATP, rejected accusations regarding suppressing that evidence. He said: "While the BBC and BuzzFeed reports mainly refer to events from about 10 years ago, we will investigate any new information." According to BBC Sport, the documents that have been received include the findings of an investigation that had been conducted in 2007 by the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals). That investigation was initiated because there had been suspicious betting activity on a match between Nikolay Davydenko and Martin Vassallo Arguello. Both players were cleared, but the documents now leaked by whistle blowers indicate suspicions of betting syndicated in Russia and Italy being involved in betting huge amounts on money on matches that could have been fixed. Mark Phillips, one of the betting investigators in the 2007 enquiry, says: "There was a core of about 10 players who we believed were the most common perpetrators that were at the root of the problem. The evidence was really strong. There appeared to be a really good chance to nip it in the bud and get a strong deterrent out there to root out the main bad apples." Eight of the suspected players are currently taking part in the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year. The BBC will reveal more about the files that it received on Tuesday at 20:00 GMT, on BBC Radio 4.