09-10-2007 British tennis player says most players know match-fixing is rife

"It is pretty disappointing for all the players, but everyone knows that it goes on," Andy Murray told BBC Radio.

Murray also said he understands why for some journeyman players the chance to make extra money may be hard to turn down.

"There are some guys who have to come to tournaments every single week and out of their first-round-loser's cheque - about 2,500 euros - they have to pay for their air fares. A career lasts probably only 10 or 12 years and you have to make all your money while you're still playing," he said. "But it's not really acceptable."

The Association of Tennis Professionals immediately asked to meet Murray to discuss the claims made public. "Nothing is more important than the integrity of our sport and the ATP has shown that it will act where it has information which requires investigation," said a tour spokesman.

In related news, Mark Davies, Managing Director of Betfair, told the Daily Telegraph that corruption in tennis is not new. "I think that all sport has always been liable to corruption, by the very nature of it producing clear results one way or another. They say that chariot races were rigged for financial reward. I don't see why subsequent sporting events should suddenly have been less liable to corrupt practice. We would strongly dispute the idea that sport suddenly has a corruption problem because of the boom in gambling."