| World Tennis News | |
Elseneer reveals match-fixing offer |
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Friday, 28 September, 2007 Belgian tennis player Gilles Elseneer claims he was offered around £70,000 to throw a match during Wimbledon 2005. Elseneer says he was offered the money to deliberately lose his first-round tie against Potito Starace but immediately refused the advances. Elseneer, who says the offer was made soon after his qualification for the event, told The Times: "I had my honour as a player to protect and Wimbledon meant everything to me. They said I should take my time and give them a reply the next day, but I only needed a couple of minutes to realise it was impossible for me to contemplate." Elseneer went on to win the match without dropping a set. Etienne de Villiers, chairman and president of the ATP, said: "I am not surprised players are being approached in sport but what I care about is their reaction, where they stand in terms of their responsibility to the sport and what the consequences are. "It is a disaster for tennis if anyone considers that the sport is corruptible. "Gamblers like to have information nobody else has and we have to fight tooth and nail to ensure we have a level-playing field." PA Sport
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