A nother day, another scandal in sport. World soccer, cricket, the Essendon debacle - and now tennis. As the crowds gathered for the first day of the Australian Open in Melbourne yesterday, ugly reports emerged from the other side of the world of match fixing and pay-offs.
The timing was unfortunate, taking the shine off the highly anticipated opening matches at one of the country's premier sporting events.
The veracity and severity of the allegations are as yet unclear.
Reports by the BBC and BuzzFeed News claim secret files expose evidence of widespread suspected match fixing in world tennis, mostly before 2008. 
They claim that 16 players ranked in the top 50 were repeatedly flagged to the Tennis Integrity Unit over suspicions they had thrown games or matches but were allowed to continue competing.
The documents relate to the findings of an investigation set up in 2007 by the Association of Tennis Professionals into betting syndicates in Russia, northern Italy and Sicily making hundreds of thousands of pounds on suspicious games. 
Allegedly, a confidential 2008 report recommended 28 players be investigated further but the findings were not followed up because of legal advice. According to the reports, eight players who have been flagged as suspicious (but not proved to be guilty) will be playing in this week's tournament.
At the moment, these are just allegations. The ATP yesterday absolutely rejected any suggestion that evidence of match fixing had been suppressed or not properly investigated. It pledged to thoroughly pursue any new leads.
While disappointing, the allegations are hardly surprising. Sporting codes around the world have been struggling for some time to keep their players clean and away from the influence of dodgy bookmakers and internet gambling outfits. Wherever there is big money to be made on betting, temptation to rig the result will be there.
It is most important, particularly after the corruption scandal involving soccer officials at FIFA, that the public can have confidence in sporting governing bodies. The ATP must ensure that it keeps its promise to be honest and rigorous while attempting to keep its sport free of graft. 
In the meantime, this should not overshadow a terrific event, nor should it take away from the great majority of players not alleged to have done anything wrong. The Open is one of the great showcases of Australia on the world stage.
  May this tournament bring as many fine matches and memorable moments as it has in years gone by.