ATP teams with British authority in bet probe

It was a series of potentially damaging disclosures. Novak Djokovic, one of the leading players on the ATP Tour, said tennis has a problem in regard to gambling. One of the sport’s best-known doubles players, Bob Bryan, said some colleagues received anonymous phone calls asking them to influence the outcome of matches. And coach Larry Stefanki revealed that he had been pressed for inside information about another competitor.

The ATP’s response to those developments last week in Montreal? Mostly silence from the governing body of men’s pro tennis.

But that public stance changed abruptly on Friday.

Previously, the ATP had issued a statement to the media and players, announcing an investigation into suspicious betting patterns involving a Nikolay Davydenko match against little-known Martin Vassallo Arguello on Aug. 2 in Sopot, Poland. The ATP then referred all questions to that initial release.

On Friday, the ATP announced in a release that it would be working with the newly created British Horseracing Authority for support and also would be using two “experienced, independent investigators to support the ongoing process.”

“We are committed to a thorough, fair and comprehensive ATP investigation and our decision to involve the BHA, as well as employing independent investigators, is testimony to that commitment,” Etienne de Villiers, the ATP’s executive chair, said in a statement.

“It underscores how seriously we regard any suggestion of corruption in our sport. The BHA team are industry leaders in this area and their expertise, knowledge and resource will be invaluable to our investigation.”

ATP spokesperson Kris Dent, in a telephone interview from London, declined to identify the two independent investigators or where they were based. Asked for a timetable, Dent said there would be an “emphasis on thoroughness,” as opposed to a speedy resolution.

Nic Coward, chief executive of the BHA, said in a statement: “The ATP shares our commitment to integrity and has the same desire to deal properly with any suggestion of corruption and when they approached us requesting our advice and assistance we were only too happy to oblige.”

Paul Struthers, public relations manager of the BHA, said the organization would not be doing the investigating for the ATP but would be offering general advice on how to conduct the probe, as well as making available betting pattern analysis and software.

“Racing has had to deal with betting and integrity-related matters a lot longer,” he said in a telephone interview from London.

The tennis probe started after the British-based Internet company Betfair on Aug. 3 voided all bets on the previous day’s Davydenko-Arguello match because of irregular betting patterns, including an unusually high figure of $7 million in wagers, with most of the action going against Davydenko, who was then ranked No. 4, even after he won the first set.

He ultimately retired from the match in the third set because of a foot injury. The injury did not prevent him from playing the week after Sopot; he reached the quarterfinals in Montreal and on Friday made it to the semifinals in Mason, Ohio.

Davydenko said in Montreal that he had not been interviewed by the ATP or Betfair. Earlier, his agent denied that Davydenko or anyone from his support group had a link to the betting.

Davydenko was asked Thursday if the ATP had been giving him updates.

“I don’t know,” he said to reporters. “It’s not with me now. It’s only my manager. I just try . . . to play tennis. I don’t know anything now in the moment. I don’t want to know also in this moment.”

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lisa.dillman@latimes.com