ITF hires police officers
Posted on January 8, 2008
Filed Under News
Tennis’s governing bodies hired two former London police officers who investigated corruption in cricket and horse racing to assess the threat of gambling and potential match-fixing in tennis. Jeffrey Rees and Ben Gunn will advise the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the men’s and women’s tours and the four Grand Slam tournaments on setting up a tennis-wide integrity unit, the governing bodies said in a joint statement.Rees established and still runs an anti-corruption unit for the Dubai-based International Cricket Council, while Gunn led a group examining integrity in the British horse racing industry and is a commissioner for the U.K. Gambling Commission. “This independent review by experts in the field will give us a more comprehensive understanding of the issue at hand and allow us to take specific measures to protect our sport now and for the future” Bill Babcock, the ITF’s executive director, said in the statement. Tennis is assessing the threat posed by gambling after suspicious betting on a matnvolving fourth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko in August 2007 sparked an investigation. More than a dozen players said publicly last year that they were approached to throw matches and the men’s ATP Tour suspended three Italian players for betting on matches.In August 2007, betting exchange Betfair nullified all $7 million in wagers on a loss by Davydenko to Martin Vassallo Arguello, who was then ranked 70 places lower. As the match in Poland progressed, more bets were placed on Davydenko to lose, even after he won the first set, Betfair said.The ATP has interviewed Davydenko, who has denied wrongdoing, and reviewed telephone records. No findings have been announced.“Integrity of competition is the essence of all sport” said ATP Executive Chairman Etienne de Villiers. “That is why we remain fully committed to meeting the global challenge posed by gambling face on”
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