Five French athletes face bans for rigging matches
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The punishments are linked to a criminal case heard in 2023 involving a match-fixing group in Belgium.
PHOTO: UNSPLASH
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PARIS – Five French players have received bans ranging from two years to life after they were found guilty of match-fixing, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said on April 4.
Yannick Thivant, Thomas Brechemier, Gabriel Petit, Thomas Setodji and Hugo Daubias are the players sanctioned, with the punishments linked to a criminal case heard in 2023 involving a match-fixing group in Belgium.
“Collaboration between the ITIA and Belgian authorities led to a five-year custodial sentence for the leader of the syndicate, Grigor Sargsyan,” the ITIA said in a media release.
“Four of the cases were ruled on by an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer (AHO), with the fifth resolved directly between the player and the ITIA.”
Thivant, 38, was issued a lifetime ban and fined US$75,000 (S$101,000) in addition to €37,400 (S$55,200) in restitution after he admitted to fixing 22 matches between 2017 and 2018, with the sanction taking effect on Feb 14.
Setodji, 29, was handed a 10-year suspension and fined US$20,000, in addition to €5,500 restitution, “after being found liable for fixing three matches in 2017 and failing to report a corrupt approach in 2018”.
Brechemier, 28, was suspended for seven years and six months plus fined US$40,000, of which US$27,500 is suspended, after admitting to fixing 11 matches between 2017 and 2018.
Petit, 29, was suspended for six years and six months and fined US$35,000 after he failed to respond to the charges. Daubias, 28, was issued a two-year suspension and fined US$15,000.
Brechemier was the highest-ranked player of the five, with a career-high singles ranking of world No. 399.
The ITIA said the five players are prohibited from playing, coaching or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the members of the ITIA or any national association during their suspensions.
On the court, world No. 4 Jessica Pegula rallied from a set and a break down to beat defending champion Danielle Collins 1-6, 6-3, 6-0 on April 4 and reach the semi-finals of the WTA clay-court tournament in Charleston, South Carolina.
“That was tough,” said Pegula, who trailed 6-1, 2-0 but won 10 of the last 13 games – including the last nine to close out the contest.
“Obviously she can play well here. She’s defending champion and she came out firing. I was not ready for that at all.
“Luckily, I was able to dig my heels into that second set and play some good tennis.”
Jessica Pegula is through to the semi-finals of the WTA.
PHOTO: AFP
Pegula, the top seed, booked a semi-final meeting with Ekaterina Alexandrova, who beat Paris Olympics gold medallist Zheng Qinwen 6-1, 6-4.
Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, also reached the semi-finals, beating Anna Kalinskaya 6-4, 6-3.
Kenin will next face Amanda Anisimova, who advanced with a 7-5, 7-6 (7-1) win over Emma Navarro. Both semi-finals ended after press time. REUTERS
