The investigative body created to fight corruption in tennis has denied claims it has been ignoring evidence of match-fixing, saying it has been trying to obtain information from Italian prosecutors.
The Tennis Integrity Unit, which is funded by tennis' governing bodies, said in a statement on Tuesday it has been investigating claims that two male Italian tennis players fixed matches.
"The TIU had been endeavouring to obtain the evidence required to substantiate allegations made against Italian players Daniele Bracciali and Potito Starace from the prosecutor's office since October 2014," the body said.
The statement follows a story published Tuesday by BuzzFeed and the BBC that claims Italian prosecutors, led by Roberto Di Martino, have evidence that gamblers contacted several players to fix matches.
"The TIU had to engage legal counsel in Italy to obtain the information contained in Mr. Di Martino's investigation and is now listed as an Injured Party in the ongoing criminal proceedings," the TIU said.
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In January, the BBC and BuzzFeed reported that tennis authorities had suppressed evidence of match-fixing and failed to thoroughly investigate possible cases of corruption.
