Betting company alerts tennis authorities of unusual betting at Wimbledon

Unusual betting pattern reported at Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON, England — A betting company has alerted tennis corruption investigators about unusual betting patterns on a Wimbledon match but says no wrongdoing is suspected.

Mark Davies, a spokesman for bookmaker Betfair, says the company received more than six times as many wagers as usual for Jurgen Melzer’s first-round match against Wayne Odesnik on Tuesday. Davies says the odds of Melzer winning “shortened significantly” before the match, and that Betfair has reported the heavy betting to the International Tennis Federation’s integrity unit.

Davies said Wednesday that Betfair did not suspect any wrongdoing. He said TV commentators reported shortly before the match that Odesnik had a thigh injury, which could explain the betting. Melzer won 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.