Russian player arrested over alleged match fixing

Russian Yana Sizikova has been arrested on suspicion of match fixing at last year’s French Open.

French newspaper Le Parisien reported the player – ranked 765 – was in custody.

The player was arrested on Thursday evening on charges of “sports bribery and organised fraud for acts likely to have been committed in September 2020,” the Paris prosecutor’s office said.

An investigation was opened last October by a French police unit specialising in betting fraud and match-fixing.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency, declined to comment on the details of the case but did say “there has been ongoing liaison between the ITIA and law enforcement in France.”

The prosecutor’s office said the probe centered on suspicions about one match at Roland Garros last year but did not specify the match.

German newspaper Die Welt and French sports daily L’Equipe reported there was suspicious betting patterns in the first round of a women’s doubles match on September 30.

Sizikova and partner, American Madison Brengle, played a doubles match against Romanians Andreea Mitu and Patricia Maria Tig on that day.

Le Parisien also reported that several thousands of euros were bet with several operators in different countries on the Romanian players winning that game.