Betting AlertIJ
A first-round US Open women's singles match will be looked into by tennis' anti-corruption organization because of possible irregular betting patterns. Tennis Integrity Unit spokesman Mark Harrison said on Wednesday that 15th-seeded Timea Bacsinszky's 6-1, 6-1 victory over Vitalia Diatchenko last week is the only match that has been the subject of an alert at Flushing Meadows this year. US Tennis Association spokesman Chris Widmaier said the tournament "is aware of the betting alert" and that the TIU is handling the matter. Widmaier added that "betting alerts need to be investigated, but they are certainly not gospel" and do not "necessarily indicate any nefarious doings." The New York Times first reported on the alert to the TIU.
American girls sizzle
American girls are making a strong statement in the US Open junior tournament, taking 10 of the final 16 spots. That's the most girls from the United States to make it into the third round since the draw of that event expanded to 64 in 1984. The American group is led by fourth-seeded Amanda Anisimova, a 15-year-old who was a French Open junior finalist. "You have so many up-and-coming young women already on the tour, and then to see this wave of great junior girls coming behind them is really, really encouraging," said Martin Blackman, the US Tennis Association's player development manager.
sound processor malfunctioned
The US Tennis Association says a digital audio sound processor at court level malfunctioned during the US Open quarterfinal between Andy Murray and Kei Nishikori. Murray dropped seven consecutive games after a let call caused by a loud noise from the malfunctioning equipment during a fourth-set point and lost to Nishikori 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5. Murray disagreed with chair umpire Marija Cicak's decision to immediately halt things when play was interrupted by a sound similar to that of a gong being struck. It happened with Murray holding a second break point at 1-all in the fourth. Murray complained about the ruling right away, gave away the next three points to lose the game, then brought it up again with Cicak at changeover, saying something similar had happened earlier without a re-do of the point.