Young tennis players need to be educated about the implications of match-fixing and the sport needs to be more pro-active in talking about the issue, world number two Andy Murray said yesterday.

The start of the Australian Open has been overshadowed by a report accusing tennis authorities of failing to take action against players repeatedly flagged up to the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) over suspicions of matches being thrown.

Murray said Novak Djoko-vic’s revelation that he had been offered $200,000 to throw a match in the early years of his career highlighted the temptation facing young players.

“I think when people come with those sums of money when you’re that age... I think sometimes people can make mistakes,” the Briton said.

“I do think it’s important that from a younger age players are better educated and are made more aware of what they should do in those situations and how a decision like that can affect your career, can affect the whole sport.”

Australian teenager Thanasi Kokkinakis told local radio that he had been approached on social media about throwing tennis matches.

“You read some stuff on your Facebook page, just these randoms from nowhere saying, ‘I’ll pay you this much to tank the game’,” the 19-year-old said.

“You don’t really take it seriously.”

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