Albina Khabibulina Hit with Lifetime Ban for Match Fixing

Multiple match-fixing offenses have cost Albina Khabibulina her career.The Uzbekistan player was hit with a lifetime ban and fined $150,000 for match fixing, approaching other players to fix matches and failing to cooperate with an investigation into corruption. The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced Khabibulina had committed multiple breaches of Tennis Anti-Corruption Program.More: WTA Suspends China TournamentsKhabibulina, who reached a career-high singles rank of No. 492 in July of 2011, did not contest the charges.The case was ruled on by independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer Professor Richard McLaren, O.C. and the sanction means that Ms Khabibulina is permanently prohibited from playing in or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by any international tennis governing body or national association.

Professor McLaren found that the player was guilty of match fixing, approaching other players to attempt to fix matches, failing to report corrupt approaches and failing to co-operate with the investigation.Currently ranked No. 621, Khabibulina's played primarily on the ITF Challenger circuit with her last tournament in September at an ITF $25,000 tournament in France.Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve ]]>