French Open: match-fixing investigation opened into suspicious game
- The suspected match is a first round women’s doubles encounter, according to reports
- French police confirm they have opened an investigation but would not comment
The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened a police investigation into suspicions of match-fixing at the French Open.
The office said the investigation is being conducted by a French police unit that specialises in betting fraud and match-fixing probes and which, among other investigations, has previously worked with Belgian authorities in investigating suspected fixed matches at the lower levels of professional tennis.
But match-fixing probes targeting Grand Slam tennis are comparatively rare. The Paris prosecutor’s office said the investigation is centred on suspicions concerning one match at Roland Garros and also casting a broader look for any other evidence. It did not specify the match.
German newspaper Die Welt and French sports daily L’Equipe said there were suspicious betting patterns in the first round of a women’s doubles match on September 30.
Played on Court No. 10 at Roland Garros, it had Romanian players Andreea Mitu and Patricia Maria Tig against Madison Brengle of the United States and Yana Sizikova of Russia.
In the match, Sizikova is broken to love serving in game five of the second set, during which she double faults twice.
