Wimbledon wary over fresh betting controversy

After new gambling revelations involving male tennis players, Wimbledon has been put on high alert by the tennis authorities.

Some bookmakers in the Netherlands voided bets on a grass-court match after revealing the odds on one player shortened from 5-6 to 1-5 and a four-figure sum was wagered on him to win by a punter. And now with Wimbledon in full flow, authorities are to scutinise any unusual betting patterns within the game.

This is a blow for the sport of tennis, and with its high class followers and traditional values, Wimbledon organisers have to try and avoid any other betting controversy to ensure its clean cut image and a smooth operation of the prestigious tournament.

Tennis authorities are expected to call for a report from their Integrity Unit, which was established in 2007 when a number suspicious matches had bets riding on them, one match involved Russian star Nikolay Davydenko and Martín Vassallo Argüello of Argentina.

As we are all aware of, some bookmakers are out to make a quick buck and in lesser governed countries it can be more accessible, but President of the ATP Players' council and former World Number 1, Roger Federer believes it is in the hands of the players.
He was quoted in the media saying, "It is never good for tennis when we hear of things like this and it is in the players' power to control what they do at all times. That is the message to get across."

Betting scandals are not unheard of in major sports. Cricket has seen its fair share of betting controversy, and it seems difficult for some professional sportsman to turn down a lucrative offer from a dodgy bookmaker. One classic example was the story of ‘John the Bookmaker,' when in 1994 an Indian bookie offer Australian cricketers Mark Waugh and Shane Warne money to provide pitch and weather information, but the players denied they gave any ‘valuable' information to the bookmaker.

It is a shame to think sports betting has problematic areas. However, the activity is for many, a leisurely punt on a football accumulator at the weekend or a cheeky fiver on a horse at the races with a reputable sports betting provider.
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