Tennis
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<p>Hmmm... </p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11575611'>http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11575611</a></p>
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<p> </p>Tennis match fixing: Secret files allege corruption at top levels of world tennis<div><span>11:16 AM Monday Jan 18, 2016</span></div>
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<img height="310" src="http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/20164/Tennis4_620x310.jpg" width="620" alt="Tennis4_620x310.jpg">The cache of documents passed to the BBC and Buzzfeed News include the findings of an investigation set up in 2007 by the ATP. Photo / Getty Images.</div>
<p>Secret files which allegedly contain evidence of widespread match fixing at the top levels of world tennis have been revealed.</p>
<p>Dozens of top world players are suspected to have been involved in match fixing, with some reported to tennis officials over suspicions that they deliberately lost matches.</p>
<p>The files, released in an investigation conducted <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/35319202'>by the BBC and BuzzFeed News</a>, allegedly show that gambling syndicates around the world made hundreds of thousands of pounds by betting on matches that were believed to have been fixed.</p>
<p>No names are named, but from a hardcore group of 16 players who were involved when the scourge was at its height in the latter part of the Noughties, some are still on the circuit.</p>
<p>It is alleged that more than half of them are in the starting field for the Australian Open, which begins tomorrow.</p>
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<p>The findings of the investigation by both news organisations included:</p>
<p>* A US Open champion and doubles winners at Wimbledon were among a core group of 16 players who had repeatedly been reported for losing games when highly suspicious bets have been placed against them.</p>
<p>* One top-50 ranked player competing in the Australian Open is suspected of repeatedly fixing his first set.</p>
<p>* Players were being targeted in hotel rooms at major tournaments and offered US$50,000 ($73,100) or more per fix by corrupt gamblers.</p>
<p>* Gambling syndicates in Russia and Italy have made hundreds of thousands of pounds sterling placing highly suspicious bets on scores of matches - including at Wimbledon and the French Open.</p>
<p>* The names of more than 70 players appear on nine leaked lists of suspected fixers who have been flagged to world tennis authorities over the past decade without being sanctioned.</p>
<p>The evidence uncovered by the investigation included a bundle of leaked internal documents - the so-called 'Fixing Files' - and analysis of betting on 26,000 tennis matches.</p>
<p>- More to come.</p>
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<p>I don't follow tennis closely enough to know whether this has been rumoured for ages, or is a bolt from the blue (despite apparent behind the scenes investigations)?</p> -
<p>Link to the original Buzzfeed article below, it's a good read.</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.buzzfeed.com/heidiblake/the-tennis-racket#.urvYzym2E'>http://www.buzzfeed.com/heidiblake/the-tennis-racket#.urvYzym2E</a></p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Donsteppa" data-cid="553051" data-time="1453076214">
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<p>I don't follow tennis closely enough to know whether this has been rumoured for ages, or is a bolt from the blue (despite apparent behind the scenes investigations)?</p>
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<p> The suspicions around Davydenko have certainly been known for a while.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Virgil" data-cid="553056" data-time="1453077636">
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<p>Be very similar to cricket in that it's a sport open to 'spot fixing'<br>
Bets broken into individual points/games/sets etc<br>
Double faults be similar to bowling no balls..</p>
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<p>The article generally refers to match fixing, not spot fixing.</p>
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<p>I doubt any betting agencies would take bets on double faults anyway. </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SammyC" data-cid="553078" data-time="1453079505"><p>The article generally refers to match fixing, not spot fixing.<br><br>
I doubt any betting agencies would take bets on double faults anyway.</p></blockquote>
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Harder to prove, if tennis is soiled then you can't rule out any possibility.<br>
Probably depends if Indian bookies are involved or not.... -
Only "Hundreds of thousands of pounds" ... really?<br><br>
I don't think they're doing it right -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Virgil" data-cid="553090" data-time="1453080483">
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<p>Harder to prove, if tennis is soiled then you can't rule out any possibility.<br>
Probably depends if Indian bookies are involved or not....</p>
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<p>The whole spot fixing scandal within cricket is another discussion. (was covered at length in the Cairns thread)</p>
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<p>But I will say this...... Indian bookmakers were as confused as anyone else about the Amir no ball stuff.</p>
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<p>It's not possible to bet on that scenario in India.</p> -
Not legally...
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="No Quarter" data-cid="553103" data-time="1453083341">
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<p>Not legally...</p>
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<p>All sports betting in India is illegal.</p>
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<p>This was discuused at length in the Cairns thread, but I suggest you read "Bookie, Gambler, Fixer, Spy".</p>
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<p>The image that you guys have of players bowling no balls to order (or serving up double faults) and some bookmaker or Gambler in India making money from that is crap. The way the western media report this stuff is just plain wrong. </p> -
<p>This isn't a new problem, and has been around the lower levels for a while now.</p>
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<p>Grantland (RIP) did this great article a while ago about betting in the Futures Leagues, really interesting stuff:</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://grantland.com/features/the-futures-is-bleak/ '>http://grantland.com/features/the-futures-is-bleak/ </a></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SammyC" data-cid="553106" data-time="1453084161">
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<p>All sports betting in India is illegal.</p>
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<p>This was discuused at length in the Cairns thread, but I suggest you read "Bookie, Gambler, Fixer, Spy".</p>
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<p>The image that you guys have of players bowling no balls to order (or serving up double faults) and some bookmaker or Gambler in India making money from that is crap. The way the western media report this stuff is just plain wrong. </p>
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<p>I keep meaning to track it down but have yet to order it...</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/652915.html'>http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/652915.html</a></p>
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<p>... Even when trying to confirm a genuine fix, Hawkins retains a healthy dose of scepticism when it comes to the biggest gamblers boasting about what they control. The <i>News of The World</i> <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.espncricinfo.com/infocus/content/story/infocus.html?subject=44'>"no-ball" fix</a> was merely Mazhar Majeed trying to display his influence, it turns out - no bookmaker, even in India's illegal industry, takes bets on no-balls.</p>
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<p>Hawkins proves that cricket's corruption need not touch every single player, but that it does permeate many layers. Fixes exists, more in domestic games like county cricket and the IPL - too many matches, too many players. They mark a key step in the tug of war for inside information, and the advent of pre-scripted passages of play that move match odds in either the bookie's or the punter's favour, rather than only dictating the result of a game.</p>
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<p>Every cricket fan should read <i>Bookie Gambler Fixer Spy</i> to get a grasp of reality. Cricket is a game of much beauty but we must accept that it co-exists with what looks like an indestructible ugliness.</p>
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<p>Highly recommend it Donsteppa.</p>
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<p>it will change your perspective of cricket and sports betting. </p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="barbarian" data-cid="553107" data-time="1453084214">
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<p>This isn't a new problem, and has been around the lower levels for a while now.</p>
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<p>Grantland (RIP) did this great article a while ago about betting in the Futures Leagues, really interesting stuff:</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://grantland.com/features/the-futures-is-bleak/ '>http://grantland.com/features/the-futures-is-bleak/ </a></p>
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<p>Excellent read, thanks for posting</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SammyC" data-cid="553111" data-time="1453085048">
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<p>Highly recommend it Donsteppa.</p>
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<p>it will change your perspective of cricket and sports betting. </p>
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<p>Excellent read, thanks for posting</p>
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<p>My only concern is that it'll give me more detail on the specifics, but will do very little to change my existing fear along the lines that "Cricket is a game of much beauty but we must accept that it co-exists with what looks like an indestructible ugliness."</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Donsteppa" data-cid="553112" data-time="1453085214"><p>
My only concern is that it'll give me more detail on the specifics, but will do very little to change my existing fear along the lines that "Cricket is a game of much beauty but we must accept that it co-exists with what looks like an indestructible ugliness."</p></blockquote>
Nah its a more proactive antifixing environment now Don.<br><br>
The betting is still huge in India but the whole thing falls down if players don't subscribe and can't recruit other players.<br><br>
A valid reason to protect and not disadvantage whistleblowers. Not other guilty players, but the ones who get approached and turn it down.<br><br>
There'll never be a paper trail or real proof, only taped conversations or testimonies, as we saw in London last year -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SammyC" data-cid="553106" data-time="1453084161">
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<p>All sports betting in India is illegal.</p>
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<p>This was discuused at length in the Cairns thread, but I suggest you read "Bookie, Gambler, Fixer, Spy".</p>
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<p>The image that you guys have of players bowling no balls to order (or serving up double faults) and some bookmaker or Gambler in India making money from that is crap. The way the western media report this stuff is just plain wrong. </p>
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<p>Will do Sammy, thanks.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SammyC" data-cid="553111" data-time="1453085048"><p>Highly recommend it Donsteppa.<br><br>
it will change your perspective of cricket and sports betting. <br><br><br>
Excellent read, thanks for posting</p></blockquote>
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So if our understanding of how spot fixing works is wrong then Lou Vincents testimony was bullshit. He explicitly described scenarios along the lines of how we imagine it works (and how I expect tennis does) -
<p>TBH this would be the only way to make tennis worth watching.</p>
