Temptations for the no-hoper at tennis

Published: 9th June, 2011
SUMMER DIARY by RICHARD OSLEY

THEY rightly talked about Roger Federer’s win against Novak Djokovic at the French Open on Friday night as one of the greatest tennis matches of recent years. 

Djoko, who has become increasingly likeable over the course of his unbeaten start to the season, was undone by the ultimate master’s craft. Both players were so graceful yet powerful. Federer went on to lose the final against Nadal, but it didn’t matter in a way. He had proved his point – still the ultimate champion.

A flash later and the red dirt courts had turned grass-green and Queen’s and the warm-up to Wimbledon began on Monday.

There is a new level of excitement in tennis because of the genuine competitiveness between Djoko, Rafa, Federer and even Andy Murray. It’s not like the Sampras days. More like the McEnroe, Connors and Borg days.

Yet with all the excitement, a little story about an Austrian tennis player you might not have heard of passed with little attention last week.

Daniel Koellerer –once nicknamed Crazy Dani because of his often rambunctious, shouty, court antics – was banned for life for, and the official explanation is a bit of a mouthful, ”contriving or attempting to contrive the outcome of an event; soliciting or facilitating a player not to use his best efforts in an event; and soliciting, offering or providing money, benefit or consideration to any other covered person with the intention of negatively influencing a player’s best effort in any event”. 

Put more simply: suspicion of  match-fixing. The case was brought by the Tennis Integrity Unit based in London, although investigators have not revealed what matches they were probing. Koellerer’s manager says it’s all a shock and an appeal is still possible. The speculation about a broader concern about fixing has been rumbling for several years. Koellerer’s case aside, the tour’s vulnerability is obvious. Take an average player who has realised he’ll probably never make the top 40, no chance of landing a big prize. Take the same player and ask him how he feels about being tonked for fun by the likes of Nadal and Co every time they play. Then tell them: they can make quick, big, cash from simply dropping a service game at the right time or serving a certain number of double faults. What do you suppose might happen sometimes?

The flipside of having four of the greatest of all time on the tour right now, and the excitement we will have at Wimbledon, is that there are a heck of a lot of perennial losers out there. People with absolutely zero chance of causing a shock result. 

The temptation when the betting nasties come calling for the weary defeated must be great. Great things are happening on a tennis court right now. But odd things, too.