Mexican tennis player, Daniel Garza, has been fined $5,000 and banned from competing for six months after being found guilty of a match-fixing charge, as concerns regarding high levels of corruption in the sport grow.
The 32-year-old was deemed to have attempted “to influence the outcome of a match” by anti-corruption programme, the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU), relating to a match on the third-tier ITF Future Tour in California, back in March 2015.
“The suspension applies with immediate effect and means he is excluded from competing in, or attending, any tournament or event organised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of sport,” the TIU stated.
The news will come as another blow to growing concerns over a high level of match fixing taking place in Tennis.
Earlier this year, the TIU reported that they had received 48 alerts of suspicious betting activity in the first quarter of 2016 alone, and 96 alerts from July to September of this year.
Wimbledon winner and world number two, Andy Murray, has also been vocal about his concerns over match-fixing in the sport.
"I don't care whether [the authorities] are seen to be doing enough; I care whether they are [itals] doing enough," Murray said earlier this year.
"You want people to be prosecuted, you want them to be banned and you want them to be found out. It's up to the authorities to do something about it. And you just want to make sure that they are."
The Scotsman has also called for younger players to receive a better education on the dangers of match-fixing.
He added: "I've been aware of it since I was quite young and I think when people come with big sums of money when you're at that age, some people can make mistakes.
"I do think it's important that from a younger age, players are better educated and made more aware of what they should do in those situations and how decisions like that can affect your career and affect your whole sport.”
The news of Garza’s suspension follows the announcement of two high-profile investigations currently taking place by the TIU, a first round US Open match between Vitalia Diatchenko and Timea Bacsinzky and an SW19 match at this year's Wimbledon.
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