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Poll Surveys 31 Tennis Pros, Finds 26% Suspect An Opponent of Match Fixing

Likewise, more than a fifth of those surveyed know a player who has used performance enhancing drugs.
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An anonymous poll of 31 professional tennis players has found that just over a quarter suspect an opponent of match fixing.

Conducted by ESPN, the poll surveyed players from the WTA and ATP tours. Though the sample size is relatively small, it still suggests a significant number of pros are aware of cheating and misconduct in the game.

This comes after a report at the start of the year that several elite players – including singles and doubles Grand Slam winners – were suspected of participating in widespread match-fixing set up by gambling syndicates in Russia and Italy. The ATP have been aware of fixing problems since at least 2008, when a match between Nikolay Davydenko and Martin Vassallo Arguello was investigated after attracting massively disproportionate betting.

While 25.8% thought that a previous opponent might have fixed a match, 22.3% claimed to know a fellow tennis player who has used performance enhancing drugs. When asked what percentage of current players they thought might have taken PEDs at some point in their careers, 71.0% said less than 10 percent, while 29.0% said between 11 and 25 percent.

In the aftermath of Maria Sharapova's failed drugs test at the Australian Open in January, tennis has come under increased scrutiny over doping and PEDs. With over a fifth of the players surveyed suggesting they are aware of PED usage, ESPN's poll implies that the problem could be more common than first thought.

The poll also found that 64.5% of players thought Sharapova should serve a one-year suspension, with 29.0% favouring a longer ban. Meanwhile, 6.5% felt that she should avoid punishment altogether.

Sharapova could face anything up to a four-year ban. She is currently waiting to hear the full extent of her sanction.