South African handed life ban for match-fixing

South African tennis player Joshua Chetty was banned for life on Wednesday after being found guilty of match-fixing charges, the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) announced.

The 21-year-old, ranked at 1,857 in the world, admitted offering another player $2,000 (1,800 euros) to under-perform in a singles match, and $600 in a doubles match, during a third-tier Futures event in Stellenbosch, South Africa, in November 2015.

“The player approached by Chetty, whose identity will remain confidential in accordance with the provisions of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP), rejected the corrupt offers and reported the matter to the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU),” said the statement. Chetty reached a career-high of 1,370 in June 2015.

“The lifetime ban from all professional tennis applies with immediate effect and means the player is not allowed to compete in, or attend, any tournament or event organised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of the sport,” added the TIU.

Meanwhile, six-time champion Novak Djokovic has been forced to pull out of next week’s China Open because of an elbow injury, according to a statement on his website.