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Police launched a strike force into suspicious betting activity on two matches involving Bernard Tomic in the latest sorry chapter on the fallen star.
Tomic was investigated as part of the match-fixing investigation not only by police but the International Tennis Integrity Agency, the sport’s own authority on these matters, after a couple of matches raised suspicion, according to a report in The Age.
The former world No.17, whose career has been in a tailspin for several years, was targeted by the investigators after unusual betting activity with online bookmakers surrounding a 2022 Australian Open qualifying loss to Russian opponent Roman Safiullin and another match which he took part in a few months earlier in Turkey.
Payouts ranging between $10,000 and $180,000 were allegedly due to be paid out from four online bookmakers as part of the betting plunges. One of them reportedly refused to honour the bet, leading to the investigation.
There was insufficient evidence to charge Tomic, who has been allowed to continue on the touring circuit. NSW Police launched the strike force with Victorian and Queensland counterparts assisting with the investigation.
Tomic refused to comment on the matter and there is no suggestion that he has been involved in criminal activity.
Police strike force Whyman was created soon after the 2022 loss at Tomic’s home grand slam event and Tennis Australia told The Age that its anti-corruption officers assisted local and international authorities with their investigations.
“Tennis Australia’s integrity team has worked with the ITIA and law enforcement agencies since first alerted to concerns relating to betting activity in tennis,” a TA spokesperson said.
(Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
“[Tennis Australia] integrity’s role in any investigation has predominantly been one of support throughout. We have been advised there is no current police investigation into this matter.”
In the 2022 loss, Tomic claimed he was hampered by a bout of COVID-19, telling the chair umpire “I will buy you dinner if I don’t test positive in three days, otherwise you buy me dinner”.
Tomic was thrashed 6-4, 6-1 but two days later, he said he was in isolation due to COVID-19.
The other match in question was a 6-0, 6-1 capitulation to French opponent Quentin Halys in Istanbul.
He failed to qualify for this year’s Australian Open after the world No.214 was trounced by Slovakian world No.128 Jozef Kovalik 6-3 6-1, his effort falling away in the second set after the first break.
Tomic, who made the fourth round of the Open three times during his 11 appearances, was returning to play in Melbourne for the first time in three years.
Last year he earned just over $100,000 playing in Challenger and Future events in tennis backwaters.
Missing the chance to more than double that in one week, with a first-round Open loser collecting $132,000, he sought a guarantee he wouldn’t be fined for declining a request from media post-match.
“Am I going to get a fine?,” the former Wimbledon quarter-finalist asked a tennis official who told him interviews weren’t obligatory.
“OK, I’m good.”
For legal reasons, comments have been turned off for this article
with AAP
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