TIU Briefing Note October 2017

London, 6 October 2017

 Tennis Integrity Board approves two new positions for Education and Training department 

September’s meeting of the Tennis Integrity Board during the US Open approved the recruitment of two additional staff for the TIU’s Education and Training department. The decision supports an enhanced focus on the wider education of players, support staff and match officials. The new Education Project Manager and Education Co-ordinator will work with  Education and Training Manager Matthew Perry and are expected to be in place for the roll-out of a new education strategy that will become effective from January 2018.

Full disciplinary decisions to be published for the first time

In a move towards greater transparency of its operations, the TIU has confirmed that for the first time it will publish the detailed disciplinary decisions produced by its panel of independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officers (AHOs). These contain the details of the charges laid, the representations made by the TIU and the accused party, the reasons for the decision and the sanction imposed. Content will be redacted where required to maintain the confidentiality of witnesses or events that may be related to ongoing and associated cases. AHO decisions will be published on the TIU website at www.tennisintegrityunit.com

Match Alert data July to September 2017: alerts continue to fall during third quarter and year-to-date

During the third quarter of 2017, 65 match alerts were received by the TIU through Memorandums of Understanding held with betting regulators and gambling organisations. By comparison, 96 alerts were reported during the same period in 2016.

Consistent with previous reports, the majority of alerts (50 out of 65) were received for matches played on the lower level men’s ATP Challenger and ITF Futures circuits. No alerts were received for the US Open played in August/September. Further analysis shows:

• the cumulative year-to-date match alert figure for 2017 is now 148, substantially fewer than the 217 received over the same period in 2016
• all three individual quarter alert totals for 2017 are lower than the corresponding periods in 2016
• during the third quarter 2017 period, 35,349 professional matches were played
• the 65 alerts for the period featured on just 0.183% of those matches

TIU match alert policy

• every alert is assessed and followed up as an indicator that something inappropriate may have happened.  It is important to appreciate that an alert on its own is not evidence of match-fixing;
• there are many reasons other than corrupt activity that can explain unusual betting patterns, such as incorrect odds-setting; well-informed betting; player fitness, fatigue and form; playing conditions and personal circumstances;
• where analysis of a match alert does suggest corrupt activity, the TIU will conduct a full, confidential investigation

Independent Review Panel

The Independent Review Panel set up to review all aspects of the sport’s anti-corruption protocols, structures and resources, is currently finalising its Interim Report. The report is expected to be published before the end of 2017; latest information and timings are available at www.tennisirp.com

Next issue

The next issue of the TIU Briefing Note will be published in early January 2018. To be added to the circulation, contact Mark Harrison at mark.harrison@tennisintegrityunit.com.