[kesFockplek]

Tennis officials scrutinize irregular betting on Newport match between Bloomfield and Rochus

By: STEPHEN WOOD
Associated Press

07/12/10 9:20 AM PDT LONDON — Tennis officials are assessing reports of irregular betting on a first-round match between Richard Bloomfield and Christophe Rochus at the Hall of Fame grass-court tournament in Newport, R.I.

Online gambling exchange Betfair told The Associated Press on Friday that Tuesday's match attracted an unusual $1.5 million in wagers and was the subject of dramatic price movement.

Britain's Bloomfield won the match 7-6 (1), 6-3.

Bloomfield, ranked No. 552, was rated even money against his 160th-ranked Belgian opponent. In the hours before the match, the odds on Bloomfield winning shortened to 1-4. After he won the first set, the odds shorted to 1-8.

"If people are willing to risk 4 pounds to win one, that is indicative of a substantial gamble," Betfair spokesman Tony Calvin said.

Notification of the irregular betting pattern was made to the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU), an independent body created by the sport's governing bodies to lead the fight against corruption.

It is standard procedure for the betting industry to share irregular activity on its markets with the TIU.

"It is not operational policy of the TIU to make any comment about an investigation that it may or may not be involved in," TIU spokesman Mark Harrison told the AP.

Harrison was responding to a report in Britain's Daily Mail on Friday that an investigation was to be launched into the betting on the Bloomfield-Rochus match.

An investigation represents a significant step and would involve the TIU asking Betfair to pass on information on specific bets laid on the match.

Bloomfield advanced to the semifinals at Newport on Friday after beating American Ryan Harrison 5-7, 7-6 (3), 7-5.

The 27-year-old Bloomfield was also caught up in a betting controversy in 2006, when his 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Argentina's Carlos Berlocq in the first round at Wimbledon was investigated following irregular patterns.

"It's something I don't know what to say," Bloomfield said. "I know England's a big betting nation. It seems like everytime I win a decent match that comes up. I really don't know what to say."

No conclusion was reached by authorities about the match. There is no suggestion Bloomfield is implicated in the irregular betting surrounding his victory over Rochus on Tuesday.

The TIU has reached just one conclusion into a corruption investigation. In January, it fined Russian Ekaterina Bychkova $5,000 and barred her from playing for 30 days, saying she failed to report that she was asked to provide inside information and throw matches.



Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/sports/ten...#ixzz0tUKsM1i9

[Penisvergroesserung]

It actually does happen every single time Bloomfield manages to beat somebody

[kesFockplek]

I thought it was a little odd how they mention in the article that Bloomfield "is not implicated in the betting investigation", yet they do not say the same thing about Christophe.

[Penisvergroesserung]

I thought it was a little odd how they mention in the article that Bloomfield "is not implicated in the betting investigation", yet they do not say the same thing about Christophe.

Why would the winner be implicated? That's never the way these things work...

[Unjucky]

Has anyone on TAT ever bet on tennis? I've been thinking about it.

On topic: Christophe has been sliding over the last few years. Perhaps he saw an opportunity? I wonder what the amount bet was VS the difference in prize money between 1st and 2nd round.

[kesFockplek]

Has anyone on TAT ever bet on tennis? I've been thinking about it.

On topic: Christophe has been sliding over the last few years. Perhaps he saw an opportunity? I wonder what the amount bet was VS the difference in prize money between 1st and 2nd round.

The prize money difference for 1st vs 2nd round: $4,300 for first round, $7,260 for 2nd. So less than 3k.

[jessyhalm]

All I could think of when I saw the title of this thread was "Praise God Davydenko wasn't playing here!"

And oh well....I'm bettin' they aren't going to find much amiss......

[whatisthebluepill]

All I could think of when I saw the title of this thread was "Praise God Davydenko wasn't playing here!"

And oh well....I'm bettin' they aren't going to find much amiss......

Yeah, they won't find anything as usual after 1 millions months of investigation.

[whatisthebluepill]

Has anyone on TAT ever bet on tennis? I've been thinking about it.

On topic: Christophe has been sliding over the last few years. Perhaps he saw an opportunity? I wonder what the amount bet was VS the difference in prize money between 1st and 2nd round.

i did once for fun.

[Penisvergroesserung]

Has anyone on TAT ever bet on tennis? I've been thinking about it.

On topic: Christophe has been sliding over the last few years. Perhaps he saw an opportunity? I wonder what the amount bet was VS the difference in prize money between 1st and 2nd round.

I did when I've been in the British Isles. Limited success since I only ever pick underdogs. Successfully bet on your Kuz to win RG09 though once it got to the semis

If I lived somewhere where it was legal, I would do it all the time, and it would be a problem.

[toreesi]

Has anyone on TAT ever bet on tennis? I've been thinking about it.

I was in Vegas before Wimbledon, saw that Rafa's odds to win were 2:1, and quickly took that action. First time I've bet on sports. Bonus that winning the bet would offset the bummer of his winning the title.

[MpNelQTU]

I've been thinking about it for over a year, but never get to it.