US tennis legend John McEnroe expressed his concern on Friday that
organised crime, such as the Russian mafia, could be infiltrating tennis.
The former world number one believes that threats to tennis players or
their families could be forcing them into throwing matches.
"The thing that worries me is that mafia types, like the Russian mafia,
could be involved. That's potentially pretty dark and scary," McEnroe told
The Daily Telegraph.
"I think that's the side that people aren't really looking at with these
match-fixing stories. Someone may have threatened the players, and they
are put in a situation. I'm guessing that could happen. That would make
more sense to me than top players throwing a match for money.
"Throwing a match for money would be stupid, as you would be risking
losing what you've worked for your whole life. It seems crazy that players
would take that risk for money. It would make more sense that they've
been threatened in some way and that's why they're doing it."
Russian Nikolay Davydenko, the world number four, is being investigated
by the ATP after a defeat in Poland in August while Italian Alessio di
Mauro was suspended for nine months for betting on matches and Philipp
Kohlschreiber has had to defend himself of accusations of match-fixing
in the German press.
"With a high-ranked guy like Davydenko, he's making so much money to
begin with that he'd be risking so much by doing it, as if you get caught
you should be banned for life," McEnroe said.
"But it's pretty tough to prove that someone has thrown a match unless
you're tapping the guy's phone or something."
But some of the lower-ranked players in men's tennis could be tempted
by bribe money, McEnroe said.
"I think this issue has to be closely looked at, because it's very
conceivable that it's happening. There are guys out there who are 100 in
the world, 200 in the world, and they're making 50,000 pounds a year.
"And if someone says that they'll give you 50,000 pounds, so your entire
year's money, I think there's a strong possibility that they have taken the
money, without a doubt," McEnroe said.
"There is definitely temptation for people. It's becoming more of a drama
because there's more money in sports."
Copyright AFP 2007, AFP
How do you write an article on game-fixing in tennis and not mention
the word "gambling" once? Absolutely amazing!Edited by: PitBull
organised crime, such as the Russian mafia, could be infiltrating tennis.
The former world number one believes that threats to tennis players or
their families could be forcing them into throwing matches.
"The thing that worries me is that mafia types, like the Russian mafia,
could be involved. That's potentially pretty dark and scary," McEnroe told
The Daily Telegraph.
"I think that's the side that people aren't really looking at with these
match-fixing stories. Someone may have threatened the players, and they
are put in a situation. I'm guessing that could happen. That would make
more sense to me than top players throwing a match for money.
"Throwing a match for money would be stupid, as you would be risking
losing what you've worked for your whole life. It seems crazy that players
would take that risk for money. It would make more sense that they've
been threatened in some way and that's why they're doing it."
Russian Nikolay Davydenko, the world number four, is being investigated
by the ATP after a defeat in Poland in August while Italian Alessio di
Mauro was suspended for nine months for betting on matches and Philipp
Kohlschreiber has had to defend himself of accusations of match-fixing
in the German press.
"With a high-ranked guy like Davydenko, he's making so much money to
begin with that he'd be risking so much by doing it, as if you get caught
you should be banned for life," McEnroe said.
"But it's pretty tough to prove that someone has thrown a match unless
you're tapping the guy's phone or something."
But some of the lower-ranked players in men's tennis could be tempted
by bribe money, McEnroe said.
"I think this issue has to be closely looked at, because it's very
conceivable that it's happening. There are guys out there who are 100 in
the world, 200 in the world, and they're making 50,000 pounds a year.
"And if someone says that they'll give you 50,000 pounds, so your entire
year's money, I think there's a strong possibility that they have taken the
money, without a doubt," McEnroe said.
"There is definitely temptation for people. It's becoming more of a drama
because there's more money in sports."
Copyright AFP 2007, AFP
How do you write an article on game-fixing in tennis and not mention
the word "gambling" once? Absolutely amazing!Edited by: PitBull