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William Hill Andy Murray Tennis

Andy Murray brands Australian Open ‘a little bit hypocritical’ for William Hill betting partnership

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By John McCarthy, Opinion Editor

January 19, 2016 | 2 min read

British tennis number one Andy Murray has branded the sponsorship rules in tennis as "hypocritical".

Speaking at the Australian Open after his first round win, Murray was critical of the ATP rules that stipulate players cannot be sponsored by bookmakers, but the tournament itself can be backed by William Hill.

He said: “I think it’s a little bit hypocritical, really. I don’t believe the players are allowed to be sponsored by betting companies but then the tournaments are.

“I don’t really understand how it all works. I think it’s a bit strange.”

The pressure has turned up against the tournament organiser’s decision to secure its first ever gambling partner with criticism also coming from Australian senator Nick Xenophon, who branded it as an “unprecedented tie” that is "completely inappropriate" for the sport.

In the interview, Murray also claimed that authorities must be vigilant to match-fixing.

His comments follow an investigation from BBC and BuzzFeed revealing supposed evidence of match-fixing implicating some of the sport’s top players.

William Hill Andy Murray Tennis

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