Australian teen suspended from professional tennis after match-fixing allegation

The Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) has provisionally suspended an Australian teenager Oliver Anderson from playing professional tennis over charges of alleged match-fixing. The suspension of Anderson, 18, applies with immediate effect and will remain in place until the TIU investigation is complete.

During this period Anderson, currently ranked 1083, is excluded from competing in, or attending, any tournament or event organised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of the sport.

The provisional suspension was imposed by independent anti-corruption hearing officer Richard McLaren, the man behind the devastating report into “state-sponsored doping” that saw Russia barred from international athletics.

However, the TIU stressed the suspension was not a determination of the player’s guilt or innocence of corruption offences under the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program.

The TIU also did not specify the nature of the allegations it was investigating.

It is reported that the Victoria Police announced on January 5 that an 18-year-old man had been charged over alleged match-fixing at a second-tier event in Traralgon, Australia, in October, according to Sport24.

The statement release by the police at the time said he would appear in court on March 2.

Anderson won his opening match at the Traralgon tournament, before losing to compatriot John-Patrick Smith, winning $860 in prize money.