French Open women's doubles match under investigation for match-fixing
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/oct/06/french-open-womens-doubles-match-under-investigation-for-match-fixing
French Open women's doubles match under investigation for match-fixing
Tumaini Carayol
Tue 6 Oct 2020 20.10 BSTLast modified on Tue 6 Oct 2020 20.46 BST
The Tennis Integrity Unit declined to comment on the match at the French Open. Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images
Police in France are investigating a possible case of match-fixing at Roland Garros during a doubles match on Wednesday 30 September. The match in question is Russias Yana Sizikova and American Madison Brengles first-round encounter with Romanian pair Andrea Mitu and Patricia Maria Tig. Mitu and Tig eventually won 7-6 (8), 6-4.
According to a report in the German newspaper Die Welt on Monday, hundreds of thousands of euros were bet on a break of serve in the fifth game of the second set of the match with the score level at 2-2. Sizikova was serving and she was culpable for three of the points conceded as she lost her serve to love.
A day after the match, the video of Sizikova easily relinquishing her serve was posted on Twitter and it has been widely shared. Sizikova opened the game with a double fault, netting both serves. On the second point, Sizikova directed a backhand at Tig, the net player, before stumbling as she failed to reach Tigs volley. After a volley winner from Mitu to reach triple break point, Sizikova finished the game with a second double fault, with both serves long.
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