A first-round mixed doubles match is being studied for probable match-fixing after a major sports gambling website suspended betting for this particular match.
The match pitting Lara Arruabarrena and David Marrero against Andrea Hlavackova and Lukasz Kubot is being looked into by the authorities after one of the major betting websites, Pinnacle Sport, suspended all activities on this match after a series of suspicious activities. In what normally would have been a standard match of the Australian Open, large chunks of money poured in with bets on Hlavackova and Kubot to win the game, which they eventually did.
Marco Blume, head of the sportsbook at Pinnacle Sports, revealed that almost all the money came down for the ultimate winners. This, and the fact that the amount of money was much higher than what is normal for games of such magnitude, indicate that the match may have been fixed. The entire match was over in a jiffy, with the first set lasting only 20 minutes. Hlavackova and Kubot won the match 6-0, 6-3.
Arruabarrena and Marrero, however, rejected any possibility of alleged match-fixing. Arruabarrena is ranked 33rd while Marrero is ranked 32nd, and they have blamed their below par performance on a knee injury that stopped them from performing to their best level.
The world of Tennis was rocked recently with the revelation of massive match-fixing at the very top level of game. BBC and BuzzFeed reported that 16 players have been flagged for their alleged involvement in match-fixing in recent years, but they have not been disciplined by the authorities despite solid proofs against them. The Australian Open, the first grand slam of the year, was marred by controversies after such reports, and now this incident has further clouded the issue.
While there have been calls for strict action against players involved in match-fixing, Tennis officials believe that players cannot be held responsible on the basis of unusual betting patterns alone. According to officials, someone close to these players could be involved in fixing matches as well as passing the information to an outsider. For professional gamblers, knowledge of an injury can mean a massive bet, as they use such information to their best interest.
The match pitting Arruabarrena and Marrero against Hlavackova and Kubot is the latest in the series, and the betting was stopped 13 hours before the start. Pinnacle Traders suspended betting, and now the match is being investigated by the authorities for probable match-fixing.
Marco Blume revealed that after suspending betting on the match, they notified the police in Victoria, where the Australian Open is taking place. John Eren, the Sports minister of Victoria, said that law enforcement agencies are monitoring the situation very closely.
“The law enforcement agencies are watching this area very closely. Of course we’ve seen it in many different sports, not just tennis. I’m hoping that the relevant authorities will act quickly and swiftly to deal with some of these matters,” said Eren.
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