Match Fixing in Tennis

Question: Discuss about the Match Fixing in Tennis. Answer: Introduction In the past decade, there are 16 players in the tennis sport who have been sent to the tennis integrity unit because of suspicions they have thrown matches. These players were ranked in the top 50 in the matches over the years. The Tennis arena was shocked following reviews that authorities had failed to address full-size fixing, just because the Australian Open, the first ostentatious tournament of the year, kicked off in Melbourne. Professionals said tennis become ripe for corruption because of the benefit of solving a one-on-one recreation, or game. Match fixing has been rampant over the years as the result in the tennis sports appeared to have been manipulated and no results were genuine. The tennis integrity unit is the agency that has been set up to watch over the sport and it has a zero tolerance policy in the approaches to the betting-related corruption. There are many reasons as to why the match-fixing has been an emergent form of corruption in the tennis sports, some of whi ch are discussed in the study. Reasons Why Match-Fixing Has Been Prevalent Business and investment Business and investment has been one of the reasons as to why match-fixing has been rampant. Investors have opened gambling sites where the fans are supposed to place their bets on who will become the winner in the tournament. The investors have been earning much money as people who place wrong bets are losing their money to the investors. People have however taken advantage of the betting and gambling sites and they are using it to carry on their malpractices in the tournaments. In the efforts to fight match-fixing, a gambling site was seen to suspend the bets on the Aussie open match. The suspicions had already been felt in the Australia open earlier in the year (The Guardian, 2015). Owing to this, the betting had to be suspended on grounds of a relatively small-scale mixed doubles match after a large sum of money was flowing in on the obscured match. Suspicions over the alleged match-fixing in the tournament were raised after a big percentage of the bets were flowing in for the pa iring of Andrea Hlavackovaand Luksz Kubot against Lara Arruabarrena and David Marrero. The flowing in of the bets was an indication that the matches had been fixed and something opts to have been done (Hawkins, 2013). Advanced Technology Because of the advanced technology, and the use of internet, match-fixing has been prevalent issue in the tennis sport. As part of their investments, business people have further moved to online platforms and opened online-betting sites where the fans of tennis sport gamble online. As technology is advancing, and he use of digital; devices such as smart phones and tablets, people are now able to bet anywhere and at any time (Blackwood Rubin, 2011). The advanced technology has made it easier for betting to take place as people carry their phones and tablets everywhere they go and they can follow live matches whenever they wish. As such, match-fixing has been prevalent as it is difficult to control the online betting sites because the results can always be manipulated through hacking into the sites and place bets in favor of a particular player. The bets will influence the player as it affects the other player who is bound to lose the tournament following the massive support of the op ponent in the site (Rupert, 2015). Players Race for Fame The players have also been part of the reasons why match-fixing has been emergent in the tennis sport. Some of the players are obsessed in becoming the winner by all means. Most of them are seen going as far as trying to pay off their opponents to lose their match for them. When a case like this is happening, it will be very difficult to find the truth of the matter. As some point in the Australia open, a player was paid a lot of money so he can lose the match for the opponent. Because the player saw this as a malpractice in sport, he chose not to show up for the tournament and never took the offer. Such match-fixing are also there though finding evidence of the same has been a challenge. No player will accept to be named for being paid off to lose his or her tournament. Also no player will agree to be named for paying off the opponent to lose the match for him. Novak Djokovic has revealed that in 2007, he was offered a good amount so he could lose on the first round of the match (Gr asso, 2011). In his response, he never attended the tournament and never considered taking the offer as well. Novak believed that the act was acts of sportsmanship, and a crime in the sport. The scandals in the tennis sport are since becoming big deals with the law. Reports have indicated that the findings in the investigations are more related to the British parliament. The individuals involved in the tennis integrity unit are expected to be invited to hearings. As much as the tennis integrity unit has disciplined the players for fixing, their names are yet to be made known to the public (Bodin Sempe , 2011). Player Safety The players in the field are sometimes forced to involve in the match-fixing activities for fear of their safety. At some occasion, players have been approached and asked to throw their matches at some fee. These people approaching them are either gamblers, or officials from the opponents side (Bell, 2011). In any case the player refuse to take the offer, they are threatened and left with no choice than to obey for fear of their lives. It has been a concern that the gamblers are reaching out to the players even on the tournament sites where sometimes, transactions are seen taking place or in the hotels where the players are residing. In the efforts to find the players involved in the math-fixing, it is also better to look at the other bigger picture. The players are under pressure not because they want to win and take advantage of their short careers, but also because they want to stay safe and financially okay in the sport where corruption has been rampant and has as well been overl ooked (Atkinson, 2009). Lack of Transparency The tennis integrity union has been on zero tolerance on match-fixing; however, their lack of transparency has been another reason why match-fixing has been an emergent issue in the tennis sport. Whenever the union investigated a case on corruption in the sport, the officials never put the names of the culprits on public so they can be known (Andreff Szymanski, 2006). As such, the people involved in the malpractices will still be confident in the sense that they are not known to the public. They still have the courage to face the world in the tournament and claim the titles that might have been achieved through canvassing. It would be best if the tennis integrity union aired the names of the people involved in the match-fixing, it would be easier for them to stay away and never involve in such practices again. Also, airing their names will make the people planning to do the same to avoid doing so and the matches will at least have some transparency (Rowbottom, 2013). Conclusion Business and investment has been one of the reasons as to why match-fixing has been rampant. Investors have opened gambling sites where the fans are supposed to place their bets on who will become the winner in the tournament. Because of the advanced technology, and the use of internet, match-fixing has been prevalent issue in the tennis sport. As part of their investments, business people have further moved to online platforms and opened online-betting sites where the fans of tennis sport gamble online. In the efforts to fight match-fixing, a gambling site was seen to suspend the bets on the Aussie open match. The suspicions had already been felt in the Australia open earlier in the year. Owing to this, a betting site had to suspend the betting on grounds of a relatively small-scale mixed doubles match after a large sum of money was flowing in on the obscured match. References Atkinson, M. (2009).Battleground sports. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. Retrieved from: https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=x61zCgAAQBAJpg=PA164dq=match+fixing+i n+tennis+sportshl=ensa=Xredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=match%20fixing%20in%20t ennis%20sportsf=false Andreff, W., Szymanski, S. (2006).Handbook on the economics of sport. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. Retrieved From: https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=PGRkblShhU8Cprintsec=frontcoverdq=The+te nnis+integrity+union+has+been+on+zero+tolerance+on+match- fixinghl=ensa=Xredir_esc=y#v=onepageqf=false Bell, D. (2011).Encyclopedia of international games. Jefferson: McFarland. Retrieved from: https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=gjPECwAAQBAJpg=PA64dq=At+some+occasi on,+players+in+tennis+have+been+approached+and+asked+to+throw+their+matches+at +some+fee.hl=ensa=Xredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=At%20some%20occasion%2C %20players%20in%20tennis%20have%20been%20approached%20and%20asked%20to %20throw%20their%20matches%20at%20some%20fee.f=false Bodin, D., Sempe , G. (2011).Ethics and sport in Europe. Strasbourg: Council of Europe. Retrieved From: https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=bPwnDJOC75YCpg=PA87dq=match+fixing+in +tennis+sportshl=ensa=Xredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=match%20fixing%20in%20te nnis%20sportsf=false Blackwood, K., Rubin, M. (2011).Casino Gambling For Dummies. Hoboken: John Wiley Sons, Inc. retrieved From: https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=5YqAhPnYqPYCpg=PA16dq=online- betting+sites+where+the+fans+of+tennis+sport+gamble+online.hl=ensa=Xredir_es c=y#v=onepageq=online- betting%20sites%20where%20the%20fans%20of%20tennis%20sport%20gamble%20onl ine.f=false Grasso, J. (2011).Historical dictionary of tennis. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press. Retrieved From: https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=W39oSS7c2xACpg=PA42dq=Novak+Djokovic +has+revealed+that+in+2007,+he+was+offered+a+good+amount+so+he+could+lose+on +the+first+round+of+the+match.hl=ensa=Xredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=Novak%2 0Djokovic%20has%20revealed%20that%20in%202007%2C%20he%20was%20offered %20a%20good%20amount%20so%20he%20could%20lose%20on%20the%20first%20ro und%20of%20the%20match.f=false Hawkins, E. (2013).Bookie gambler fixer spy: A journey to the heart of cricket's underworld. London : Bloomsbury, 2013. Retrieved From : https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=ZmU3nqi- nX4Cprintsec=frontcoverdq=match+fixing+in+tennis+sportshl=ensa=Xredir_e sc=y#v=onepageqf=false Rowbottom, M. (2013).Foul play: The dark arts of cheating in sport. London ; New York : Bloomsbury, 2013. Retrieved From: https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=lMMYN0jY2u8Cprintsec=frontcoverdq=match +fixing+in+tennis+sportshl=ensa=Xredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=match%20fixing% 20in%20tennis%20sportsf=false Rupert N., Owen G. (2015) Jack Warner: former kingpin spends night in jail after corruption arrest, The Guardian. Retrieved From: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/may/28/former-fifa-kingpin-jack-warner- spends-night-in-jail-after-corruption-arrest The Guardian (2015) Turkish court charges 15 more in Fenerbahce match-fixing scandal, Retrieved September 21, 2016. Retrieved From: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2011/jul/07/turkey-match-fixing.