Match-fixing has ended one Algerian player's career and damaged another.
Mohamed Hassan has been banned for life and Houria Boukholda was banned for two years (with 18 months of that ban suspended) for match-fixing offenses, the International Tennis Integrity Agency announced today.
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The Algerian pair committed multiple match-fixing offenses dating back to 2016.
In addition to the bans, Hassan was fined $12,100 and Boukholda fined $10,000 (with $9,000 suspended).
The cases were ruled on by independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer Janie Soublière and the sanctions mean that both players are prohibited from playing in or attending any tennis event sanctioned by the governing bodies of tennis.
Neither individual engaged with the process nor responded to the charges.
The 27-year-old Hassan, who had a highest ATP ranking of 1476 was found guilty of 29 offenses relating to seven matches between 2016 and 2018.
The 20-year-old Boukholda was found guilty of 15 offenses relating to five matches in 2017 and 2018. Due to Boukholda’s age and inexperience at the time of the offenses, it was determined that the player was influenced by Hassan and was therefore given a more lenient sanction.
The ITIA said evidence on these match-fixing cases "came to light as part of ongoing law enforcement investigations in Belgium."
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