The #31 ATP ranking Potito Starace suspended for 6 weeks
Starace Potito was suspended for six weeks and fined $30,000, the Italian federation said. Bracciali, ranked 258th, was banned for three months and fined $20,000. Both suspensions take effect January 1, 2008.
The federation said Starace made five bets for a total of $130 two years ago, and Bracciali made about 50 bets of $7 each from 2004-05 on tennis matches involving other players.
“Injustice is done,” the statement said. “These penalties are absolutely, excessively severe compared to the magnitude of the violations carried out by the two players.”
The federation said the two were not aware of the ATP’s betting regulations, and they stopped placing bets as soon as they learned it was against the rules.
“It’s disgusting,” Starace said. “The ATP doesn’t know where to turn. It’s all a joke.”
Bracciali said the two had been “sacrificed.”
Concerns about match-fixing have risen since August, when an online betting company reported unusual betting patterns during a match between fourth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko of
Samantha Stosur will not play in Australian 2008 open
Canberra (Australia), December 24, 2007
Australian tennis player Samantha Stosur said on Monday she will not play in the next month’s Australian Open after failing to recover from a lingering illness.
S. Stosur, ranked #1 in Australia and #46 in the world, struggled with illness for the last half of the year and said she was not fit enough to compete on home court.
“I am very disappointed I won’t be able to compete during the Australian summer,” the 23-year-old Stosur said.
WTA #6 Anna Chakvetadze has been robbed in her house
“Five to six unknown people wearing masks climbed over the fence of the country house at about 4 a.m., then broke into the house and tied her parents up. They took money and valuables worth 200.000 $US).” a police spokesman said.”Her father Jamal appeared on Russian television, showing scabbed-over bruises on his scalp, cheek and forehead.“They started to beat me up, I resisted, then they hit me either with their hands or a pistol. It was dark, told me I had a child there, reminded me about it, so that I gave them everything. So I did,” – said Jamal Chakvetadze the Anna’s father on Russian television.Police later said they were looking for suspects but gave no details.World number six Chakvetadze has won four singles titles this year (Hobart, Australia – Hard, Cincinnati, United States – Hard, Stanford, United States – Hard, ‘s Hertogenbosch, Holland - Grass) earning about -1 million £ - in prize money.
2007 ITF World Champions
ITF awarded for the third time overall men’s tennis world #1 Roger Federer and women’s #1 Justine Henin the 2007 ITF World Champions.
Federer (26 years), who won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open titles to bring his Grand Slam haul to 12, took the award for the fourth straight year, while Henin, (25 years), who won the French and US Open titles was named for the third time overall.
“Each year brings new challenges, and I am proud that I have been able to raise the level of my game when needed. It gives me great satisfaction to have won another three Grand Slam titles and maintained the number one ranking.” – R. Federer said.
“This has definitely been the best season of my career so far and I am delighted to be named ITF World Champion once again.” –J. Henin said.
“Roger Federer and Justine Henin both enjoyed outstanding seasons to maintain their status as the world’s number one players. In particular their record in Grand Slam events saw them emerge as the clear choices for ITF World Champions.” – The ITF President Francesco Ricci said.
Tennis players wish you “Merry Christmas” and “Happy new year”
Roger Federer, Marcos Baghdatis, the Bryan brothers, Mardy Fish, Jarkko Nieminen, Ivo Karlovic, Andy Murray and Tommy Robredo are singing “Jingle Bells” and wish all af you “Merry Christmas” and “Happy New Year !“.