Belgian prosecutors have confirmed that a series of detainments has been made in connection with allegations of match-fixing at lower level tennis tournaments.
13 people have been detained in connection with a criminal gang that has ties with Belgium and Armenia. Police have said that the group has been involved in bribing players to fix their matches since 2014. It is reported that they targeted players on the Futures and Challenger tours where prize money is low and matches are rarely televised.
According to police files, the suspected individuals made money by betting on a series of matches that they have managed to corrupt. The development comes following an international investigation. Belgian authorities have said that they have received help from their counterparts. Including authorities in Germany, France, Bulgaria, Slovakia, the Netherlands and the United States.
Match-fixing in tennis has been a concern for authorities in recent years. Due to the numerous tournaments taking place throughout the year. In April, a report by the Independent Review Panel (IRP) concluded that there was a ‘tsunami’ of match-fixing hitting the lower level events. However, they cleared the governing bodies of the sport of trying to cover up the issue. Something that was previously claimed in a 2016 news investigation by the BBC and Buzzfeed News.
Last month, world No.95 Nicolas Kicker was suspended from the tour after the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) found him guilty of ‘contriving the outcome of a match’ on two separate occasions during 2015. Meanwhile, at the French Open, Novak Djokovic’s upcoming quarter-final opponent has previously been caught up in a match-fixing scandal. Two year’s ago Marco Cecchinato was handed a 18-month suspension by the Italian Tennis Federation for allegedly fixing a match. An allegation he denies. The sentence was later reduced to 12 months before being overturned due to irregularities in the evidence used against him.
In relation to the Belgium investigation, there is currently no information to suggest that any player was involved in the activities. A judge will decide if the 13 people detained will be formally arrested.