Murray says guidance lacking in fixing fight
Retired French player Clement reveals offer to forfeit match as controversy rages
Young tennis players need to be educated about the implications of matchfixing and the sport needs to be more proactive in talking about the issue, world No. 2 Andy Murray said yesterday.
The start of the Australian Open has been overshadowed by a report accusing tennis authorities of failing to take action against players repeatedly flagged up to the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) over suspicions of matches being thrown.
Speaking after he eased into the second round at Melbourne Park, Murray said Novak Djokovic’s revelation that he had been offered $200,000 (Dh734,362) to throw a match in the early years of his career highlighted the temptation facing young players.
“I think when people come with those sums of money when you’re that age I think sometimes people can make mistakes,” the Briton told reporters.
“I do think it’s important that from a younger age players are better educated and are made more aware of what they should do in those situations and how a decision like that can affect your career, can affect the whole sport.
“I think across all sports, I don’t think that that’s done particularly well. You know, I think you should be learning about those things from 15, 16, 17 years old and being warned about it.”
Australian teenager Thanasi Kokkinakis told local radio in Melbourne yesterday that he had been approached on social media about throwing matches.
“You read some stuff on your Facebook page, just these randoms from nowhere saying, ‘I’ll pay you this much to tank the game’,” the 19-year-old told 3AW Radio. “You don’t really take it seriously.”
Retired French player Arnaud Clement in Paris has admitted that he was approached with a large sum of money to forfeit one of his matches.
Clement told France Info radio station on Monday that the incident took place in Russia where he was set to play a match, when an “unknown” person approached him with the proposal, which the player refused, reports Efe.