Morigami denies match-fixing claims: WTA
PARIS: Japan's Akiko Morigami said she did not receive instructions from a coach to throw a doubles match at the French Open last week, the WTA said on Monday.
Morigami had been widely reported in Japanese media as saying a national team coach had asked her to deliberately lose the match as a defeat would boost partner Aiko Nakamura's chances of qualifying for the Beijing Olympics by freeing her up for a tournament this week.
"I am aware of the media reports, and unfortunately, my comments were misunderstood," said Morigami in a statement released by the women's tour.
"I never claimed that the coach asked me to throw the match. Regardless, we tried our best to win the match but we played a tough team and weren't able to beat them."
French Open organizers confirmed on Monday they would continue to investigate the comments while officials in Japan said they would launch a probe of their own.
"At this stage we are not really clear on who said what, but we will investigate the incident," Japan Tennis Association (JTA) managing director Koji Watanabe told Reuters on Monday.
"If it turns out a national coach did say that then it's a matter for the (JTA's) technical committee. It would be dangerous to make any decision before we have established the facts."
Morigami first made her comments after a 6-0 6-1 first-round defeat by Taiwan's Chan Yung-jan and Chuang Chia-jung in Paris last Friday.
The International Olympic Committee said ity would not comment until they had all the details of the story.
"It wasn't Nakamura's coach who said it," Morigami was quoted as saying by Japanese media. "It was a different coach. I was angry because it's not something you say to a player before a match."
The Japanese No 2 added on her official blog (www.40love.jp/morigami/): "I'm sorry for the trouble my remarks have caused.
"But there should be no suspicion we didn't try our best."
Japan's No 3 Nakamura, ranked No 71 in the world, still has an outside chance of making the Olympic squad, which will be selected via the world rankings published on June 9.
Agencies
(China Daily 06/04/2008 page24)
