The Latest: Tennis officials dismiss match-fixing claims
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) 12:45 p.m.
ATP chairman Chris Kermode and the Tennis Integrity United have rejected news reports that match-fixing has gone unchecked in the sport.
In reports published on the morning the Australian Open began, the BBC and BuzzFeed News said secret files exposed evidence of widespread suspected match-fixing at the top level of world tennis. The report said that in the last decade 16 players - all at some stage ranked in the top 50 - have been repeatedly flagged to the integrity unit.
The reports say the players - it doesn't identify them or say whether they were involved in singles or doubles - were allowed to continue competing.
At a news conference at Melbourne Park on Monday, Kermode said officials ''absolutely reject any suggestion that evidence of match-fixing has been suppressed for any reason, or isn't being investigated.''
Nigel Willerton, head of the Tennis Integrity Unit which was formed in 2008 as a joint initiative of the International Tennis Federation, the ATP, the WTA and the Grand Slam Board, says ''it would be unprofessional for me to comment on if any players here are being monitored.''
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12:22 p.m.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova has the distinction of winning the first completed match at the 2016 Australian Open, avenging a loss to Luksika Kumkhum from two years ago.
Kvitova beat the Thai qualifier 6-3, 6-1. In 2014, Kumkhum beat Kvitova in three sets to send the-then sixth-ranked player out of the tournament.
Serving to stay in the match Monday, Kumkhum saved two match points before double-faulting in the breezy conditions on Rod Laver Arena to hand Kvirotva the match in 70 minutes.
Kvitova won her Wimbledon titles in 2011 and 2014. Her best performance at the Australian Open is a semifinal berth in 2012.
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11:12 a.m.
Under sunny skies and a temperature of 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova has begun play in her first-round match against Luksika Kumkhum of Thailand, the first match on the center court at the Australian Open.
Over on Hisense Arena, 2014 U.S. Open finalist Kei Nishikori of Japan is playing Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany.
Later matches on Rod Laver Arena involve the defending champions Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic. Williams, who just missed a calendar year Grand Slam last year by losing in the semifinals at the U.S. Open, plays Camila Giorgi of Italy, followed by Djokovic's match against Chung Hyeon of South Korea.
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10:55 a.m.
An International Tennis Federation spokesman at the Australian Open says the Tennis Integrity Unit plans to issue a statement on Monday in reaction to reports over match-fixing in the sport.
The BBC and BuzzFeed News says secret files exposed evidence of widespread suspected match-fixing at the top level of world tennis. The report said that in the last decade, 16 players who have been ranked in the top 50 have been repeatedly flagged to the integrity unit.
The reports say the players - it doesn't identify the players or say whether they were involved in singles or doubles - were allowed to continue competing.
The Tennis Integrity Unit was formed in 2008 as a joint initiative of the ITF, the ATP, the WTA and the Grand Slam Board.
