Disruptive gamblers to be removed from Italian Open

ROME - Organisers of the Italian Open said on May 13 that attendees looking to put off players to favour their gambling will be removed, after a spate of matches were disrupted during the tournament.

Players have been targeted with insults and cries from the stands aimed at making players worse to favour their in-game betting, a phenomenon tournament director Paolo Lorenzi said in a statement “has long been monitored... with the utmost attention”.

“We simply find it unacceptable for this activity to have any point of contact with professional tennis matches,” said Lorenzi.

“FITP (the Italian tennis federation) will ensure that the persons identified as being responsible for disruptive activities never set foot in a facility hosting a Federal event again.”

Lorenzi did not mention any specific episodes but organisers have been criticised by fans for the excessive behaviour of some spectators in the stands.

Alex De Minaur had to stop before a serve in his second-round match with Luca Nardi to argue with two particularly loud and aggressive fans, while Jakub Mensik was forced to do the same during his match Fabian Maroszan in the third round.

No-one has suggested any of those incidents were directly related to gambling but live betting has become a noted problem at certain events.

Spectators sit in the front row of the stands and insult players with the aim of influencing the result of matches and other in-game bets. AFP

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