LONDON: Snooker was hit by fresh allegations of corruption after former top-five player Stephen Lee was told he had a case to answer yesterday following a match-fixing investigation.
World Snooker said Lee was alleged to have breached rules in eight matches across four tournaments — the 2008 Malta Cup, the 2008 UK Championship, the 2009 China Open and the 2009 world championship.
“This has been a complex investigation where the material has had to be traced, recovered and re-evaluated,” the world governing body said in a statement.
The 38-year-old Lee has been suspended from competition since Oct. 12 and the Englishman’s ban will be in force until a formal independent hearing by Sport Resolutions UK at a date yet to be arranged. He denies fixing matches.
“He does not accept that he has been involved in any breaches of the rules and regulations and is gravely disappointed that a decision has been taken to bring proceedings against him,” said a statement released by his lawyer, Tony Miles.
World Snooker said a separate investigation into suspicious betting in relation to Lee’s Premier League match against John Higgins in October last year was ongoing.
Lee started this season ranked No. 8 after returning to form after a lean spell.
Widely regarded as having the best cue action in the game, he has won five ranking events in his 21-year professional career, the most recent at last year’s PTC Grand Finals in China — his first title in six years. Higgins, a four-time world champion and one of snooker’s greatest ever players, was cleared of match-fixing allegations in 2010 but banned for six months for bringing the game into disrepute after being filmed in a newspaper sting allegedly accepting money to fix matches.
Quinten Hann and Joe Jogia are former players who have been found guilty of breaching rules after investigations into match-fixing.
Snooker star Stephen Lee in match-fixing case
Snooker star Stephen Lee in match-fixing case
Alcaraz swats aside Walton as career Grand Slam bid begins in Melbourne
- The 22-year-old Spaniard can eclipse Don Budge and become the youngest man to win all four major singles titles at least once
MELBOURNE: Carlos Alcaraz kicked off his latest bid for a career Grand Slam by dismantling unseeded Australian Adam Walton 6-3 7-6(2) 6-2 in the first round of the Australian Open on Sunday, as the world number one showcased the power and precision befitting a player chasing history.
The 22-year-old Spaniard, who can eclipse Don Budge and become the youngest man to win all four major singles titles at least once, gave a packed Rod Laver Arena an exhibition in shot-making that had fans either glued to their seats or rising in ovation.
“I’m really happy to step on to the court for the first time this season. I think it couldn’t be better than here at Rod Laver Arena. It was a good match, I felt great,” Alcaraz said.
“Adam (showed) a great level in the match so I had to stay there. Overall, I’m happy with the level I played at today.
“It was difficult to find good spots (against him) ... he was always in a good position, long rallies and solid from the baseline. His flat ball was sometimes really difficult for me.
“It was a really solid match and when he was able to step in on the court and play aggressive, he did, and that made it really difficult in the match.”
A ferocious forehand helped Alcaraz to grab the first break for a 5-3 lead and the six-times Grand Slam champion closed out the opening set on his retooled serve, which now bears more than a passing resemblance to the delivery of Novak Djokovic.
That technical tweak followed Alcaraz’s abrupt split last month with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, whose steadying influence was missing when the Spaniard was dragged into a second-set tiebreak after a spell of loose, crowd-pleasing tennis.
A ruthless Alcaraz came out all guns blazing to double his advantage in the clash and then rode the momentum to ease through the third set, booking a second-round meeting with Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann.
