Andy Murray slams betting sponsorship, urges transparency in corruption fight

A fan of Japan’s Kei Nishikori waits for his second round match against Austin Krajicek of the United States to begin at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016.

Maria Sharapova advanced to the third round of the Australian Open with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich, staying on course for a potential quarterfinal meeting with Serena Williams.

Stepanek, who is 37 years and 65 days old, defeated Tatsuma Ito of Japan 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2 in 3 hours, 16 minutes Tuesday to advance to the second round. “This morning, I ordered room service and I got a phone call to my room that woke me up and I completely panicked”, he said.

Roger Federer was sceptical on Monday about the possibility of elite players fixing matches but when Murray was asked if he would be surprised, the Scot said: “No, not really”.

While world No. 1 Novak Djokovic has said he was indirectly offered $200,000 to throw a match nearly a decade ago, Murray said he has never been approached. “I think it’s a bit unusual”.

There is a core group of 16 players – all title winners at Grand Slam tournaments – whose actions suspiciously and repeatedly raise red flags involving mysterious bets and fixed matches. But selfishly, I would like to know the names and the matches so that I could watch the matches myself and make up my own mind by watching. “I think sports could in general be much, much more transparent”. “I don’t care whether [the authorities] are seen to be doing enough; I care whether they are doing enough”, Murray said.

Zverev, who is ranked 83rd in the world, is widely considered to be one of the rising stars of the sport, but the victor of last year’s ATP Star Of Tomorrow Award was made to look raw as Murray taught him a harsh lesson in the demands of top-level tennis.

Williams’ next opponent will be an 18-year-old – she’ll face the victor of the match between Russia’s Daria Kasatkina and Croatia’s Ana Konjuh, who were both born the year before Williams’ first Australian Open. “He hung in. He’s young, one of the best young best players in the world, gogin to be around for a very long time”. I’ll need to return well and pass well if I want to win.

Murray will next play Samuel Groth, who beat Adrian Mannarino 7-6 (6), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. She’s also just two Grand Slams shy of tying the record for the most-ever majors played by a woman – 71, set by American Amy Frazier. “I couldn’t hear them because there’s a door in between my bedroom and where they were knocking”.

Much of the build-up to Murray’s first grand slam of the year has been centred on his focus, with wife Kim due to give birth in less than a month and his revelation he would quit the tournament if the baby arrived early. I just think there’s no place at all for these kind of behaviours and things in our sport.

Milos Raonic followed up his victory at the Brisbane International with a clinical, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 first-round win over Lucas Pouille on the second day of the season’s first major.