French police question seven more players in huge match-fixing probe

● Armenian ‘Maestro’ in custody after low-ranking pros admit taking cash

French police have questioned another batch of players in a growing investigation into a match-fixing syndicate suspected of paying out hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix low-level matches.

Seven French players were taken into custody this week and later released, taking the total number questioned in France so far to at least 17.

The probe is being led by authorities in Belgium, where the syndicate’s suspected ringleader, Armenian Grigor Sargsyan, is in custody in his home, monitored with an electronic bracelet.

Investigators say corrupted players bought off by the fixers knew Sargsyan as “Maestro”.

The massive scheme, organised via encrypted messaging and involving dozens of lowranked players in small tournaments with little prize money, is believed to have spread to more than half a dozen countries, including the USA.

Belgian authorities say they have requested assistance from the FBI, as well as counterparts in Egypt, Slovakia, Bulgaria, the Netherlands and Germany.

This week’s additional detentions were first reported by French sports daily L’equipe.

Officials did not identify the players.

A Belgian investigator said five of the French players questioned so far have admitted taking money from the syndicate

0 Dan Evans: Lucky loser.

to fix matches, and that one player believed to have fixed about two dozen matches confessed to police that he pocketed €30,000 (£26,000).

The probe has grown far bigger than Belgian authorities expected when they first swept up Sargsyan and others in a wave of arrests in June. He faces organised crime, matchfixing, money laundering and forgery charges.

In all, more than 100 players are suspected of having worked with the syndicate, fixing matches, sets or games in exchange for payments of €500 to €3,000 (£430 to £2,600).

Police say the syndicate employed mules, people hired for a few dollars to place bets on fixed matches that were small enough to slip under the radar of gambling watchdogs.

The Belgian investigator said evidence collected so far suggests that the syndicate knew other match-fixers in Spain but they were not working together.

So far, France has the biggest number of players questioned in the probe. The first four were named by investigators as Jules Okala, 21; Mick Lescure, 25; Yannick Thivant, 32; and Jerome Inzerillo, 29.

None operated in the highest spheres of tennis.

The career-best singles ranking of any of them was 354, reached by Inzerillo in 2012.

L’equipe said it interviewed Inzerillo, accompanied by his lawyer, this week and that he told the newspaper he had never been approached to fix a match.

Meanwhile, Dan Evans survived a straight-sets defeat in the Miami Open’s qualifying round after clinching a lucky loser spot.

The 28-year-old has been searching to recreate the form that helped him reach the final at Delray Beach, but lost 6-4, 6-4 to Alexander Bublik.

Thanks to his lucky loser berth, he will play in the main draw’s first round against Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri on Thursday.

British No 2 Cameron Norrie will face Australia’s Jordan Thompson in the first round, while British No 1 Kyle Edmund has received a bye to the second round where he will play Thomas Fabbiano of Italy or Belarus’ Ilya Ivashka.

Fellow Briton Jay Clarke did not progress from qualifying after losing 6-4, 6-4 to Prajnesh Gunneswaran of India.