(ATR) The Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) "strongly refutes" claims by Italian prosecutor Roberto di Martino that the TIU turned a blind-eye to match-fixing allegations.
"Tennis has a long-standing and total commitment to preventing betting-related corruption in the sport," the TIU said in a statement.
Martino has conducted a two-year investigation into betting and match-fixing among Italian tennis players and gamblers, collecting internet chat logs and phone call recordings. Martino believes he has evidence of 30 matches that were corrupted in this manner, including at Wimbledon and the French Open.
So far only two Italian players have been accused and charged with sports fraud. Potito Starace and Daniele Bracciali are expected in court in May to deny the charges.
"The TIU had been endeavoring to obtain the evidence required to substantiate allegations made against Italian players Daniele Bracciali and Potito Starace from the Prosecutor’s office since October 2014," the TIU says.
Martino says more than 12 Italian players are mentioned by gamblers in the evidence he received and that the TIU should be doing more to investigate these players. Recently, both the BBC and BuzzFeed said they had received the names of the players in the investigation.
"We have in the past requested, and repeat today, that if BuzzFeed and the BBC believe they have hard evidence of corruption, they make it immediately available. Tennis welcomes all and any new evidence that can assist the TIU in its work."
Martino has criticized the TIU for not acting on alerts it received about potential matches being fixed.
"I do not understand why there was no real initiative by the integrity unit to establish if there was something dirty behind this," he said.
"All information received from the Public Prosecutor is being fully and thoroughly assessed, verified and, where appropriate, investigated under the powers of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program," the ITU said in response to Martino.
Written by Kevin Nutley
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