According to documents in possession of German TV, the former coach of both players (the Belarusian Yatsyk) induced them to alter the results in difficult moments of their respective careers. But Karatsev is also under investigation with regard to a doubles match in the recent ATP 250 in Stuttgart.
Match-fixing is once more making the headlines. German TV ZDF, referring to documents related to an ITF investigation, reports that Yahor Yatsyk, former coach of Nikoloz Basilashvili and Aslan Karatsev, offered the two players money for fixing some matches.
ZDF seems to be in possession of bet data flows concerning five suspicious matches involving Karatsev. Two of these matches are doubles played in Challenger events in Finland and Kazakistan over the 2018-2021 period when he was coached by Yatsyk. Karatsev – whose name has already come up in unclear contexts, appears to have also been under scrutiny during Roland Garros del 2020, when he was questioned by the French Police.
According to the report published by ZDF, the latest suspicious episode would even concern the doubles tournament in the recent ATP 250 in Stuttgart (playing with the Israeli Erlich, he lost 6-4 6-0 to Bopanna / Shapovalov in the first round). As for Basilashvili, however, one of the alleged matches is supposed to be his first round of doubles with Albot at Wimbledon 2021, in which abnormal betting flows (half a million dollars) were recorded.
The source of ZDF appears to be an Eastern European coach who however did not want to go public, telling how Yatsyk set up a fraudulent approach with the two players in difficult moments of their respective careers, also from an economic point of view: “He always travels on the tour with a lot of money – says the source – and seeks young players suffering from psychological or economic problems who can be convinced with money “. Sportradar confirmed to have monitored some of Karatsev’s matches but did not provide further information.
ITIA (International Tennis Integrity Agency) have not provided any feedback, but issued in 2021 a lifetime ban for sports fraud against Sofia Dimitrieva, Karatsev’s former partner.
Both Basilashvili and Karatsev are expected to make their debut tomorrow in Bastad. Basilashvili, ranked 25th and sixth seed, will play against Hugo Gaston; Karatsev, currently No. 40 in the ATP ranking – will be facing Lorenzo Sonego.
