A Belgian organization of betting firms, FederBet, has presented its report into match-fixing to the European Parliament, which includes a suspicious match between Olivier Rochus and Vincent Millot at the Gaudeloupe challenger in April. The report also found 430 soccer matches across Europe suspicious since the beginning of 2013, with 110 appearing to be fixed.
The tennis match was won by Rochus 3-6, 6-1, 7-5. The 33-year-old Belgian said he was surprised to hear about the allegations surrounding the match and described the two playing for two-and-a-half hours in hot conditions. "For me, it was normal," Rochus was quoted as saying by a Belgian newspaper after being told of the report. "It was a tight and hard match which was not decided by any big thing.
"I don't know if there were bets on the match but they didn't come, in any case, from me... Now, if my opponent was in some kind of combination, it's up to him to defend himself.''
According to reports, there was a high level of betting that there would be a one-set difference between the players in the match.
Rochus said his name was being unjustly connected with the allegations. "It was one of my first matches after my shoulder operation. I was very motivated," he said. "I surprised myself by holding my level physically."
Rochus is currently ranked No. 470 following surgery, while Frenchman Millot, 28, is ranked No. 203.