No rackets at the Open -USTA hires Safir firm to keep out gambling

In the wake of twin gambling scandals, the U.S. Tennis Association has hired a security firm founded by ex-NYPD commissioner Howard Safir to make sure there are no funny bounces - or bets.

Operatives of SafirRosetti are at the National Tennis Center in Queens, monitoring the activities of players and officials alike, days before the U.S. Open begins its two-week run on Monday.

Open officials said yesterday they have also set up a hotline for whistleblowers and reaffirmed their zero-tolerance policy on anyone connected to the sport found to be aiding and abetting gambling.

"We don't believe a problem exists," said USTA spokesman Chris Widmaier. "However, we want to learn as much about this issue as we can, and we think that SafirRosetti is the right company to help us with that learning process."

The unprecedented steps by USTA boss Arlen Kantarian come just weeks after the men's tennis tour launched an investigation into a suspicious match in Poland. A British online bookmaker voided all bets on a match between Russia's Nikolay Davydenko, the world's No. 4 player, and Argentina's Martin Vassallo Arguello, ranked 87th.

More than $7 million was bet on the match - three times what the online firm, Betfair, says it expected from such a low-profile event.

Wagers poured in on Arguello, even after he lost the first set, triggering concerns that something wasn't right. Davydenko retired with an injury in the third set, leaving the Argentine the winner.

Closer to home, NBA referee Tim Donaghy last week pleaded guilty to felony gambling charges, admitting he bet on games he officiated.

As one USTA staffer put it, "You would have to be living under a rock if you don't know what the current situation is, and how heightened everyone's [gambling] concerns are."

Safir's firm has previously been retained by the New York Racing Association, the state's governing body for horse racing, as well as by other leagues and teams.

"We specialize in monitoring and integrity ... to make sure there's no illegal activity involved, to make sure there's no organized crime presence and, in this case, to make sure there's no wagering," Safir said.

courtesy Wayne Coffey

News Added: 24 August, 2007

Number of views : 179