Italian tennis player Stefano Galvani defended his compatriots caught in the betting scandal, saying that the ATP was only making an example out of them.

After cricket and football, tennis was thrown into the throes of match-fixing when Belgian Gilles Elseneer's claim that he was offered 70,000 pounds to throw his first-round match against Italian Potito Starace at the 2005 Wimbledon Championships. More players, including the likes of Arnaud Clement, have come forward and state that they were offered money to lose matches.

With high-profile names like Andy Murray speaking of the possibility of fixing in the game, the ATP toughened its stance and handed 30-year-old Alessio Di Mauro of Italy [Images] a nine-month ban for gambling.

Subsequently they also banned the country's top player Potito Starace and Daniele Bracciali for betting on matches.

Starace, 31st in the ATP rankings, was banned for six weeks from January 1 and fined $30,000 for placing five bets, amounting to a total of around 90 euros two years ago, while Bracciali, ranked 258th, was banned for three months and fined $20,000 for making around 50 bets of five euros each.

Galvani, who lost in the final round of qualifying to Alexander Peya at the Chennai Open on Monday, said, "The players who were banned were only doing it for fun. They placed very small amount and didn't even win, they lost money."

"But the ATP is making an example of them to show they are doing something about the betting issue. They didn't have any proof, just knew some guys were betting."

The 30-year-old said the players banned were 'stupid' to flaunt the betting rules but added that it was harmless.

"Everyone in the locker room knows they were doing it for fun.

"It's different when someone offers you money to lose a match; that is wrong. Also sometimes if you bet against a player, you know has injury, is wrong. But the Italian players were not doing it to gain money; they were just some 'stupid' guys.

"Lots of people bet on matches, which normally you aren't allowed to do. I know for sure some of the Russian guys also bet, but the ATP has only gone on to punish the Italian players. When they investigate more I'm sure more names will come out."

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