LONDON -- The four major organizations in professional tennis are joining together to keep match-fixing out of the sport.
Two months after the men's tour began an investigation into gambling on a match, the International Tennis Federation said Tuesday it is working with the ATP, the WTA Tour and the Grand Slam Committee to come up with a unified set of regulations to combat match-fixing and illegal betting.
"We have to keep the integrity of the matches," ITF spokesman Bill Babcock said. "I think we have that, but we have this looming cloud now that we have to dissipate."
Suspicions about match-fixing began after an online betting site, in an unprecedented move, voided bets on a match in August between fourth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko and 87th-ranked Martin Vassallo Arguello in Poland because of irregular betting patterns.
Davydenko withdrew from the match in the third set with a foot injury, and the ATP is conducting an investigation.
"Tennis is vulnerable," said Babcock, who is also administrator of the Grand Slam Committee.
Since the Davydenko match, other players have said they have been approached by outsiders trying to influence a tennis match. Last month, Gilles Elseneer of Belgium said he was offered -- and turned down -- more than $100,000 to lose a first-round match against Potito Starace of Italy at Wimbledon in 2005.
Britain's Andy Murray, the 18th-ranked player, told the BBC on Tuesday that it was easy to throw a match.
"It's difficult to prove if someone has tanked a match or not tried because they can try their best until the last couple of games of each set and then make some mistakes, a couple of double-faults, and that's it," Murray said. "It's pretty disappointing for all the players, but everyone knows it goes on."
A women's match in September drew suspicion for unusual betting patterns.
An online betting site briefly delayed payment after 120th-ranked Mariya Koryttseva beat No. 96 Tatiana Poutchek in the quarterfinals of a tournament in India.
Eventually, bets were paid out, and both the WTA and the betting site said they doubt there was any wrongdoing connected to the match.
Babcock said the group of tennis organizations is communicating with other sports, including horse racing and cricket.
"Experts in those sports have found a way to keep those sports clean," he said.
"It's a huge work in progress," Babcock added. "It needs to conclude with expert resources. ... We need to unify regulations."
Professional players are not allowed to bet on tennis, but Babcock said the sport has no intention to stop others from betting.
"We're not looking to regulate betting," Babcock said. "We need to make sure we're keeping matches clean."
