Tennis Observers Hit Internet Gambling Sites
Another tennis match is being investigated after online gambling bettors poured bets onto a player on the verge of defeat, only to have her opponent retire. While the match was under way, Caroline Wozniacki needed only one more game to finish Anne Kremer, but Internet coverage caught her father telling her that injury required she quit.
Even though the senior Wozniacki spoke in his native Polish, thousands of online observers were privy to the match's end before it was done, allowing patrons to load up bets on Kremer at online gambling sites.
Wozniacki led 7-5, 5-0 at the time of the controversy. But her hamstring injury was such that Piotr Wozniacki urged his daughter to stop, as the risk of increasing the injury was great and she would not be able to play the next match anyway.
Piotr made his comments at 3-0 of the second set, and a surge in in-game betting at online casinos took place the rest of the match.
Because of recent suspicious match results and whispers of corruption, tennis authorities tightened anti-gaming rules and formed the Tennis Integrity Unit. Although this case appears to be inadvertent bad luck for the casinos, authorities will be sure to look closely.
"I went onto the court and said to her: 'Caro, it does not matter whether it's going to be 5-0, 4-1 or 3-2," said the elder Wozniacki. "You can not play the next round, so you shouldn't take the risk."
