World tennis head rejects reports of match-fixing

MELBOURNE, Australia - ATP chairman Chris Kermode and the Tennis Integrity United have rejected news reports that match-fixing has gone unchecked in the sport.

In reports published on the morning the Australian Open began, the BBC and BuzzFeed News said secret files exposed evidence of widespread suspected match-fixing at the top level of world tennis. The report said that in the last decade 16 players - all at some stage ranked in the top 50 - have been repeatedly flagged to the integrity unit.

The reports say the players were allowed to continue competing.

At a news conference at Melbourne Park on Monday, Kermode said officials “absolutely reject any suggestion that evidence of match-fixing has been suppressed for any reason, or isn’t being investigated.”

AP