A new investigative unit has been formed to help investigate and prosecute sports betting the in game of tennis. The Integrity Unit, which will be run by former Scotland Yard detective Jeff Rees, was created because of the threat posed to tennis by internet gambling. This past May, a report was filed by Rees and a fellow investigator that proposed options that would later form the Integrity Unit.

In the report, it was stated that seventy three matches over the last five years have shown suspicious betting patterns. Forty five of those matches have been found in need of further investigation since inquiries of the Sopot Match. The Sopot Match is the name that refers to the investigation of Nikolay Davydenko about his match against Martin Arguello in Poland that occurred in August 2007. Suspicious betting patterns were associated with that match.

Other players have been found guilty of sports betting in tennis including: Alessio di Mauro in 2007 for betting on matches, Potito Starace in 2007 for betting and Daniele Bracciali and Federico Luzzi both were fined and suspended. Most were found not guilty of betting on their own matches.

The new Integrity Unit will be supported by the Association of Tennis Professionals, The Women’s Tennis Association, the International Tennis Federation and the Grand Slam Committee. All have agreed to operate under the same rules and penalties under the unit.

On Davydenko’s investigation, Kris Dent of the ATP, stated: “We need to take as long as it takes to determine if someone was involved. The absolute bottom line for the ATP is that integrity is the most important aspect of our game, and that tennis has to be viewed as clean without any hint of corruption.”

With the addition of the Integrity Unit, it is hoped that more information can come to light and the real truth behind the Sopot Match and others will be found.




- 2008-09-02