AUSTRALIAN Nick Kyrgios, Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic are all in action on day one of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park.
The mercury is set to hit a top temperature of 36C in Melbourne with the first matches beginning from 11am.
DAY ONE ORDER OF PLAY
ROD LAVER ARENA
6-Petra Kvitova (CZE defeated Luksika Kumkhum (THA) 6-3 6-1.
1-Serena Williams (US) defeated Camila Giorgi (ITA) 6-4 7-5.
1-Novak Djokovic (SER) v Chung Hyeon (South Korea).
From 7pm: 3-Roger Federer (SUI) v Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO), Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) v 25-Samantha Stosur (AUS)
MARGARET COURT ARENA
Daria Gavrilova (AUS) defeated Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 7-6 6-4.
Yuki Bhambri (IND) v 6-Tomas Berdych (CZE), 4-Agniezska Radwanska (POL) v Christina McHale (US).
From 7pm: Nao Hibino (JAP) v 5-Maria Sharapova (RUS), 9-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) v Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)
HISENSE ARENA
7-Kei Nishikori (JAP) defeated Phillip Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-4 6-3 6-3.
24-Sloane Stephens (US) v Qiang Wang (CHN), Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) v 16-Caroline Wozniacki (DEN).
From 7pm: 29-Nick Kyrgios (AUS) v Pablo Carreno Busta (SPA).
TENNIS’ top administrative boards issued a joint statement to clarify their position in the wake of the incredible match fixing allegations outlined in reports today.
The ATP, WTA, ITF and all four grand slam events re-affirmed their partnership with the Tennis Integrity Unit and its zero-tolerance approach to corruption.
“There are nearly 21,000 active professional players and over 2,100 officials, playing and
officiating in over 1,500 tournaments in 80 countries around the world. The vast majority of
these individuals are good people of high integrity,” ATP boss Chris Kermode said in the statement.
“Unfortunately, there is always a minority who seek personal gain from corrupt activity. Those
individuals will continue to be subject to investigation by the TIU and disciplinary sanctions
which include lifetime bans and punitive financial penalties.”
TENNIS officials have denied covering up match fixing suspicions.
Tennis officials from the ATP and WTA have denied taking no action despite reports they were alerted to suspicious behaviour from players ranked in the top 50.
Nigel Willerton, head of the Tennis Integrity Unit, was asked to confirm or deny that “there are players on the tour and maybe in this tournament that are being monitored by your unit for possible match fixing offences.”
Willerton replied: “It would be inappropriate for me to make comment as to whether any players are under investigation at the present time.”
Tennis officials held a press conference in Melbourne today, refuting suggestions match fixing exists beyond an “incredibly small level”.
“I am confident that tennis is a game of huge integrity,” ATP chief executive Chris Kermode told the BBC.
“It is simply not true that we’re sitting on evidence. What happens is that information and intelligence are given to the integrity unit and they then have to turn that into evidence.
“There’s a big difference here between information and intelligence, as [compared] to evidence.
“So, every single piece of evidence that the integrity unit receives is investigated, properly.
“We are aware that it [match-fixing] is there, I think that it is on an incredibly small level, and it’s our business going forward that we keep acting on this in the best possible way.”
DARIA Gavrilova has showed her fighting qualities to overcome Czech veteran Lucie Hradecka in her opening Australian Open match.
The No.2 Australian beat Hradecka 7-6 (6-3) 6-4 to set up a second-round meeting with another Czech, sixth seed Petra Kvitova. Gavrilova, who has soared up the rankings since her first-round exit at Melbourne Park last year from 187 to 39, was part of Australia’s triumphant Hopman Cup team earlier this month with Nick Kyrgios.
Kvitova showed little sign of the illness that has been plaguing her to overcome Thai qualifier Luksika Kumkhum in straight sets at the Australian Open on Monday.
The Czech sixth seed has had the worst possible lead-up to the year’s opening Grand Slam, with a gastro illness forcing her out of the Shenzhen Open and Sydney International, where she was defending champion.
But the aggressive baseliner put the ordeal behind her in the first round match, sweeping past Kumkhum 6-3, 6-1 in 70 minutes in blazing heat on Rod Laver Arena.
10.45am — MATCH FIXING SCANDAL
SIXTEEN players ranked in the world top 50 over the last decade, including Grand Slam champions, have been suspected of being involved in match-fixing, it was alleged Sunday.
The BBC and BuzzFeed News claimed they have seen secret files exposing evidence of widespread suspected corruption at the top level of world tennis.
“Over the last decade 16 players who have ranked in the top 50 have been repeatedly flagged to the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) over suspicions they have thrown matches,” the BBC claimed.
“All of the players, including winners of Grand Slam titles, were allowed to continue competing.” The bombshell report was released on the eve of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the season, which starts in Melbourne on Monday.
The BBC and Buzzfeed claimed the papers include details of an investigation set up in 2007 by the ATP, the governing body of the men’s tour.
They claim the probe uncovered betting syndicates in Russia, Italy and Sicily making hundreds of thousands of dollars betting on matches investigators thought to be fixed.
The BBC said three of the matches took place at Wimbledon.
“In a confidential report for the tennis authorities in 2008, the enquiry team said 28 players involved should be investigated but the findings were never followed up,” said the BBC.
The sport introduced a new anti-corruption code in 2009 but after taking legal advice were told previous corruption offences couldn’t be pursued.
Despite those legal obstacles, the documents allegedly reveal that in subsequent years there were repeated alerts sent to the TIU about a third of these players. None of them were disciplined.
Sunday’s report claims that eight of the players flagged to the TIU over the last decade are due to play in the Australian Open.
Buzzfeed said that players were targeted in hotel rooms at major tournaments and offered $50,000 or more per fix by corrupt gamblers.
But tennis authorities said that there is no complacency when it comes to fighting corruption.
“I can assure you that tennis is not treating this lightly,” ATP chief Chris Kermode told Buzzfeed.
“The idea that tennis is not acting appropriately is ludicrous.” But Mark Phillips, one of the investigators in the 2007 probe, told the “There was a core of about 10 players that we believed were the most common perpetrators that were at the root of the problem.” “The evidence was really strong, there appeared to be a really good chance to nip it in the bud and get a strong deterrent out there to root out the main bad apples.” The report also claimed that the European Sports Security Association, which monitors betting for bookmakers, flagged up more than 50 suspicious matches to the TIU last year.
Nigel Willerton, director of the TIU, said while it welcomed the support of the betting industry “it is not the role of betting companies to make judgements about corrupt activity”.
“All credible information received by the TIU is analysed, assessed, and investigated by highly experienced former law-enforcement investigators.” and Buzzfeed News did not name the players they claimed were the subject of the investigations.
USSIE star Nick Kyrgios is considered a $5 chance to be pictured canoodling with former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka during the Australian Open, according to bookmakeers.
The 20-year-old, who is reportedly dating Australia’s Croatian import Ajla Tomljanovic, is also a $21 shot to be spotted flirting with world No. 1 Serena Williams at Melbourne Park in a novelty market compiled by sportsbet.com.au.
Tomljanovic is considered the $2.25 favourite to retain his affections for this summer.
“For the next two weeks expect Kyrgios’ love life, Tomic’s night time escapades and various spats with Stan Wawrinka to dominate the headlines, with Sportsbet enabling punters to cash in on the action off the court as well as on it,”
DAY ONE ORDER OF PLAY
ROD LAVER ARENA
6-Petra Kvitova (CZE defeated Luksika Kumkhum (THA) 6-3 6-1.
1-Serena Williams (US) defeated Camila Giorgi (ITA) 6-4 7-5.
1-Novak Djokovic (SER) v Chung Hyeon (South Korea).
From 7pm: 3-Roger Federer (SUI) v Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO), Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) v 25-Samantha Stosur (AUS)
MARGARET COURT ARENA
Daria Gavrilova (AUS) defeated Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 7-6 6-4.
Yuki Bhambri (IND) v 6-Tomas Berdych (CZE), 4-Agniezska Radwanska (POL) v Christina McHale (US).
From 7pm: Nao Hibino (JAP) v 5-Maria Sharapova (RUS), 9-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) v Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)
HISENSE ARENA
7-Kei Nishikori (JAP) defeated Phillip Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-4 6-3 6-3.
24-Sloane Stephens (US) v Qiang Wang (CHN), Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) v 16-Caroline Wozniacki (DEN).
From 7pm: 29-Nick Kyrgios (AUS) v Pablo Carreno Busta (SPA).
TENNIS’ top administrative boards issued a joint statement to clarify their position in the wake of the incredible match fixing allegations outlined in reports today.
The ATP, WTA, ITF and all four grand slam events re-affirmed their partnership with the Tennis Integrity Unit and its zero-tolerance approach to corruption.
“There are nearly 21,000 active professional players and over 2,100 officials, playing and
officiating in over 1,500 tournaments in 80 countries around the world. The vast majority of
these individuals are good people of high integrity,” ATP boss Chris Kermode said in the statement.
“Unfortunately, there is always a minority who seek personal gain from corrupt activity. Those
individuals will continue to be subject to investigation by the TIU and disciplinary sanctions
which include lifetime bans and punitive financial penalties.”
TENNIS officials have denied covering up match fixing suspicions.
Tennis officials from the ATP and WTA have denied taking no action despite reports they were alerted to suspicious behaviour from players ranked in the top 50.
Nigel Willerton, head of the Tennis Integrity Unit, was asked to confirm or deny that “there are players on the tour and maybe in this tournament that are being monitored by your unit for possible match fixing offences.”
Willerton replied: “It would be inappropriate for me to make comment as to whether any players are under investigation at the present time.”
Tennis officials held a press conference in Melbourne today, refuting suggestions match fixing exists beyond an “incredibly small level”.
“I am confident that tennis is a game of huge integrity,” ATP chief executive Chris Kermode told the BBC.
“It is simply not true that we’re sitting on evidence. What happens is that information and intelligence are given to the integrity unit and they then have to turn that into evidence.
“There’s a big difference here between information and intelligence, as [compared] to evidence.
“So, every single piece of evidence that the integrity unit receives is investigated, properly.
“We are aware that it [match-fixing] is there, I think that it is on an incredibly small level, and it’s our business going forward that we keep acting on this in the best possible way.”
DARIA Gavrilova has showed her fighting qualities to overcome Czech veteran Lucie Hradecka in her opening Australian Open match.
The No.2 Australian beat Hradecka 7-6 (6-3) 6-4 to set up a second-round meeting with another Czech, sixth seed Petra Kvitova. Gavrilova, who has soared up the rankings since her first-round exit at Melbourne Park last year from 187 to 39, was part of Australia’s triumphant Hopman Cup team earlier this month with Nick Kyrgios.
Kvitova showed little sign of the illness that has been plaguing her to overcome Thai qualifier Luksika Kumkhum in straight sets at the Australian Open on Monday.
The Czech sixth seed has had the worst possible lead-up to the year’s opening Grand Slam, with a gastro illness forcing her out of the Shenzhen Open and Sydney International, where she was defending champion.
But the aggressive baseliner put the ordeal behind her in the first round match, sweeping past Kumkhum 6-3, 6-1 in 70 minutes in blazing heat on Rod Laver Arena.
10.45am — MATCH FIXING SCANDAL
SIXTEEN players ranked in the world top 50 over the last decade, including Grand Slam champions, have been suspected of being involved in match-fixing, it was alleged Sunday.
The BBC and BuzzFeed News claimed they have seen secret files exposing evidence of widespread suspected corruption at the top level of world tennis.
“Over the last decade 16 players who have ranked in the top 50 have been repeatedly flagged to the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) over suspicions they have thrown matches,” the BBC claimed.
“All of the players, including winners of Grand Slam titles, were allowed to continue competing.” The bombshell report was released on the eve of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the season, which starts in Melbourne on Monday.
The BBC and Buzzfeed claimed the papers include details of an investigation set up in 2007 by the ATP, the governing body of the men’s tour.
They claim the probe uncovered betting syndicates in Russia, Italy and Sicily making hundreds of thousands of dollars betting on matches investigators thought to be fixed.
The BBC said three of the matches took place at Wimbledon.
“In a confidential report for the tennis authorities in 2008, the enquiry team said 28 players involved should be investigated but the findings were never followed up,” said the BBC.
The sport introduced a new anti-corruption code in 2009 but after taking legal advice were told previous corruption offences couldn’t be pursued.
Despite those legal obstacles, the documents allegedly reveal that in subsequent years there were repeated alerts sent to the TIU about a third of these players. None of them were disciplined.
Sunday’s report claims that eight of the players flagged to the TIU over the last decade are due to play in the Australian Open.
Buzzfeed said that players were targeted in hotel rooms at major tournaments and offered $50,000 or more per fix by corrupt gamblers.
But tennis authorities said that there is no complacency when it comes to fighting corruption.
“I can assure you that tennis is not treating this lightly,” ATP chief Chris Kermode told Buzzfeed.
“The idea that tennis is not acting appropriately is ludicrous.” But Mark Phillips, one of the investigators in the 2007 probe, told the “There was a core of about 10 players that we believed were the most common perpetrators that were at the root of the problem.” “The evidence was really strong, there appeared to be a really good chance to nip it in the bud and get a strong deterrent out there to root out the main bad apples.” The report also claimed that the European Sports Security Association, which monitors betting for bookmakers, flagged up more than 50 suspicious matches to the TIU last year.
Nigel Willerton, director of the TIU, said while it welcomed the support of the betting industry “it is not the role of betting companies to make judgements about corrupt activity”.
“All credible information received by the TIU is analysed, assessed, and investigated by highly experienced former law-enforcement investigators.” and Buzzfeed News did not name the players they claimed were the subject of the investigations.
USSIE star Nick Kyrgios is considered a $5 chance to be pictured canoodling with former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka during the Australian Open, according to bookmakeers.
The 20-year-old, who is reportedly dating Australia’s Croatian import Ajla Tomljanovic, is also a $21 shot to be spotted flirting with world No. 1 Serena Williams at Melbourne Park in a novelty market compiled by sportsbet.com.au.
Tomljanovic is considered the $2.25 favourite to retain his affections for this summer.
“For the next two weeks expect Kyrgios’ love life, Tomic’s night time escapades and various spats with Stan Wawrinka to dominate the headlines, with Sportsbet enabling punters to cash in on the action off the court as well as on it,”
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