Betting investigation to take ‘months,’ ATP says

NEW YORK -- The ATP Tour’s investigation into suspicious betting patterns involving a Nikolay Davydenko match this month in Poland will take “months rather than weeks,” according to an official.

“It’s going to take time. We are determined to leave no stone unturned,” said ATP spokesman Kris Dent on Saturday.

His comments came as a mandatory player meeting was getting started at the final Grand Slam event of the season, the U.S. Open, which starts Monday. There was scant give-and-take on the gambling situation, according to those in the room.

It was give rather than take. U.S. Open tournament director Jim Curley briefly addressed the players. Unlike other hot-button issues discussed in past player meetings, such as performance-enhancing drugs, this did not generate dialogue, sources said.

The ATP opted not to take up the matter in the meeting because players have been receiving updates from executive chairman Etienne de Villiers via e-mail, most recently when the ATP announced that it would be working with the British Horseracing Authority for support and would be hiring two independent investigators.

What sparked the gambling investigation was the move by the British-based Internet company Betfair on Aug. 3 to void all bets on the previous day’s Davydenko-Martin Vassallo Arguello match because of irregular betting patterns. This included $7 million in wagers, an unusually high figure for an obscure contest. Most of the betting continued to go against Davydenko even after he won the first set.

The U.S. Tennis Assn. has addressed the gambling issue on two fronts at the Open. It hired a security firm run by Howard Safir, New York’s police commissioner from 1996 to 2000. The firm SafirRosetti has assisted other sports leagues and the New York Racing Assn.

Additionally, signs are posted through player areas at the National Tennis Center, offering this reminder:

“The participating in or aiding and abetting, directly or indirectly, of any form of gambling or betting involving tennis is strictly prohibited. The USTA has a zero tolerance policy on gambling or betting involving tennis, and any violation of such policy will result in immediate disciplinary action.”

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lisa.dillman@latimes.com