French Open women's doubles match under investigation for match-fixing

Police in France are investigating a possible case of match-fixing at Roland Garros during a doubles match on Wednesday 30 September. The match in question is Russia’s Yana Sizikova and American Madison Brengle’s first-round encounter with Romanian pair Andrea Mitu and Patricia Maria Tig. Mitu and Tig eventually won 7-6 (8), 6-4.

According to a report in the German newspaper Die Welt on Monday, hundreds of thousands of euros were bet on a break of serve in the fifth game of the second set of the match with the score level at 2-2. Sizikova was serving and she was culpable for three of the points conceded as she lost her serve to love.

A day after the match, the video of Sizikova easily relinquishing her serve was posted on Twitter and it has been widely shared. Sizikova opened the game with a double fault, netting both serves. On the second point, Sizikova directed a backhand at Tig, the net player, before stumbling as she failed to reach Tig’s volley. After a volley winner from Mitu to reach triple break point, Sizikova finished the game with a second double fault, with both serves long.

Sizikova is 25 years-old with a singles career high of 336 and a doubles career high of 89. She has earned $173,451 prize money since 2010.

The Tennis Integrity Unit declined to comment, its standard position. The organisation has announced six lifetime bans and suspensions in 2020, including one for the former world No 69 João Souza of Brazil.