London, Dec 05: The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) plans to build a 'firewall' between itself and the betting industry in a bid to contain the threat of match-rigging and internet gambling. The governing body of the men's tour intends to pull inside this barrier anyone who gets a tournament credential, whether that person is a player's guest, friend, a medic, a member of the media or even a VIP.
"There are plenty of people who can walk into a players' lounge and see someone throwing up or re-attaching a right leg," an ATP spokesman said on Wednesday. "Information like that can easily be passed on and used."
The ATP is aware that gambling scandals have battered the image of other sports and has been aware for some time of reports of irregular betting patterns in tennis.
Two months ago, the men's game was rocked by allegations of match-fixing and an investigation was immediately launched by the ATP into the state of men's professional tennis.
There were suggestions of insider dealing in information about players' form and fitness and ATP head Mark Miles, at the time, warned of severe penalties for anyone violating rules on gambling.
Bookmakers had suspended betting on a first-round match between Russia's Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Spaniard Fernando Vicente in Lyon in October six hours before it was due to start after receiving bets from "marked accounts".
Bureau Report