There was bad news for Australian tennis this week after it emerged that a former player was banned from playing for seven years for offences relating to match-fixing. Nick Lindahl was officially suspended by the Tennis Integrity Unit.
The TIU announced that the offences had been committed in the Australian F6 tournament in Toowomba, Queensland. “He was found guilty of charges of contriving or attempting to contrive the outcome of an event, and failing to co-operate with a TIU investigation,” – TIU.
Lindahl reached a career-high ranking of No.187, earning wins against many now established ATP players including Donald Young, Steve Johnson, and Wimbledon runner-up Milos Raonic. However, he retired in 2013 aged twenty-eight. Lindahl was also a Junior Australian Open finalist, losing to Alexandre Sidorenko in 2006.
Two other Australian players Brandon Walkin and Isaac Frost were disciplined. Walkin’s six month suspension was suspended subject to further breaches, and Frost has already served a provisional suspension.
The news of the breaches comes just days after current Junior Australian Open champion Oliver Anderson was charged with match-fixing offences.
The news appears to represent a crackdown on match-fixing after a BBC/Buzzfeed investigation publicised a year ago revealed that the issue was not being effectively tackled.
