No evidence of corruption was found after an probe into a mixed doubles match at this year’s Australian Open that had reportedly attracted suspicious betting patterns, the Tennis Integrity Unit said on Tuesday.
“While details of the investigation will remain confidential, no evidence of corrupt activity has been identified and no further action will be taken against any player involved in the match,” said TIU spokesman Mark Harrison in response to a Wall Street Journal inquiry.
The investigation was prompted by a first-round match in which Lukasz Kubot and Andrea Hlavackova beat David Marrero and Lara Arruabarrena.
The online sportsbook Pinnacle Sports had shut down wagering on the match when large sums of money had started to flow in, mostly for Hlavackova and Kubot, on the otherwise nondescript contest.
Hlavackova and Kubot won, 6-0, 6-3, with the first set lasting a scant 20 minutes. All four players denied the possibility of match-fixing at the time.
“TIU investigations not only root out corrupt practices, but also support players who are the subject of unproven speculation,” Harrison said.
Tennis came under renewed scrutiny at the outset of this year’s Australian Open after a joint report by the BBC and BuzzFeed News alleged the sport’s authorities had exhibited negligence toward evidence of match-fixing.
