RUSSIA: Russian police have apprehended tennis player Yana Sizikova at the French Open Tennis to investigate match-fixing allegations.
According to media reports, Yana was arrested for questioning however, has not been formally charged. The Russian sportswoman was arrested after losing her first-round doubles match 6-1 on Thursday.
Allegedly hundreds of thousands of euros were bet on a break of serve at 2-2 in set two. Yana Sizikova was accountable for three of the points conceded during the game, including two double-faults, in a 7-6 loss.
If found guilty of the allegations of match-fixing that have emerged against her, Sizikova could face up to five years in prison and a €500,000 fine, according to reports. The 27-year-old tennis player is implicated in a match-fixing investigation dating back to last year’s French Open.
According to Reuters, bookmakers noticed an unusual betting pattern during one of Sizikova’s matches last October at the French Open and raised the alarm.
The investigation into fraud in an organized group and active and passive corruption was related to a doubles match between Romanian pair Andreea Mitu and Patricia Mari and Sizikova and American Madison Brengle.
