Tennis matches top suspicious betting pattern alerts to sports gambling watchdog

15 April 2016 11:53

Tennis accounted for nine of 11 suspicious betting patterns flagged up by a leading sports gambling watchdog in the first quarter of 2016.

ESSA's figures for 2015 showed that nearly three-quarters of all suspicious events in sport were tennis matches, and the numbers released on Friday revealed that ratio has increased.

One basketball match and one football match were the only other alerts issued to the relevant authorities in the first three months of 2016.

But the number of suspicious tennis matches has reduced, with 2015's figures showing 17 in the first quarter, 19 in the second, 13 in the third and 24 in the fourth.

Tennis' governing bodies commissioned an independent review into the sport's anti-corruption practices earlier this year following allegations that evidence of match-fixing was not properly investigated.

The review is being overseen by Adam Lewis QC and is expected to take at least 12 months, with the sport having committed to implementing any recommendations.

Source: PA