They swept all before them to once again rule the tennis world in 2007, winning five of the eight grand slams on offer between them, but their achievements were overshadowed by a multitude of plots that came to the fore.

The genteel sport of tennis has been left reeling over the past four months with allegations of match-fixing, gambling, doping and even poisoning hitting the headlines.

The scourge of corruption that has blighted sports such as football, cricket and horse-racing, surfaced in tennis.

A match between world number four Nikolay Davydenko and lowly ranked Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello in Poland in August was voided by Betfair because of unusual betting patterns, raising suspicions of match-fixing.

Russian Davydenko, who retired hurt from the match, denies any involvement. But since then, a procession of male players, including Wimbledon doubles champion Michael Llodra, have said they were offered money to throw matches. All added they had rebuffed the offers.

Last Updated: May 29, 2008
By: Eric Quevedo & Tyler Felver