An independent review panel will "take at least a year to investigate allegations of corruption in tennis and the effectiveness of existing procedures," according to Alan Baldwin of REUTERS. The review was launched last month following media reports criticizing the Tennis Integrity Unit for "not adequately investigating some 16 players repeatedly flagged over suspicions they had thrown matches in the past decade." The four bodies said in a statement, "While there is no fixed deadline for the IRP to complete its independent review, it is expected that the full review will take at least 12 months with the publication of an Interim Report during that time." Match-fixing allegations by the BBC and online BuzzFeed News "broke before last month's Australian Open." A top global bookmaker also "suspended betting on a suspicious match at the Australian Open." The statement said, "The IRP will review the effectiveness and appropriateness of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme (TACP), the Tennis Integrity Unit and the Tennis Integrity Protection Programme (TIPP) and recommend any suggested changes." It added that the IRP "will have wide powers including the right to require the production of documents, carry out interviews and appoint experts" (REUTERS, 2/12).
