SOURCE: Associated Press

(Brussels, Belgium) — French Open organizers opened a landmark court case Friday in a bid to ban online gambling companies from offering bets on the Grand Slam tournament.

The French filed a complaint before a Liege court in eastern Belgium and in Paris, claiming the Internet betting companies stain the reputation of the clay-court championship at Roland Garros.

"There is urgency to act because sporting ethic is at risk," said Jean-Francois Vilotte, director general of the French tennis federation, told The Associated Press. "It is an issue as important as the fight against doping."

The issue of integrity in tennis came to the fore in August, when an online betting site — Betfair — voided all wagers on a match in Poland between fifth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko and 87th-ranked Martin Vassallo Arguello because of irregular betting patterns.

Davydenko withdrew from the match in the third set, citing a foot injury.

Since then, several players came forward to say they have been approached with offers to fix matches for money.

The French federation is suing three companies — Betfair, Bwin and Ladbrokes — with a court injunction to stop their betting activity on the French Open.

It seeks a fine of €50,000 ($75,000) a day for any violations, said Vilotte's lawyer, Jean-Louis Dupont.

If successful, the court case could drastically affect the multibillion euro (dollar) sports betting industry, which thrives on such events like the tennis majors.

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