French Tennis Player Sanctioned for Betting

For betting on tennis matches, French tennis player Mathieu Montcourt was banned from the sport by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for two months.

The professional tennis organization found the 152-ranked Montcourt guilty of betting on matches involving other players between June and September 2005. The ATP though failed to find evidence he had tried to manipulate the outcomes of matches he bet on.

The sentence on Montcourt, who this year has won two Challenger titles, started yesterday, August 11 along with a hefty fine of US$12,000.

“The ATP’s Tennis Anti-Corruption Program is clear that gambling on any form of tennis match is prohibited,” said ATP Executive Vice President Gayle David Bradshaw. “All in our sport have a duty to uphold all those rules designed to protect the integrity of tennis and the ATP will continue to instigate disciplinary proceedings against anyone found to have committed an offence.”

Last month, doubles specialists Frantisek Cermak and Michael Mertinak were also suspended because of match betting and five Italians have been given bans as well.