By Tennis Now | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, November 23, 2023
Chair umpires are entrusted to keep score.
Slovenian umpire Marko Ducman admitted manipulating scores and has been banned from tennis for 10 years and six months for his actions.
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Ducman, an international-level official, admitted to four breaches of the Tennis Anti Corruption Program, including wagering on tennis matches and manipulating data from matches in which they were an official to facilitate betting.
The bronze-badge official who has officiated at ITF, ATP and WTA tournaments, co-operated fully with the ITIA investigation and accepted an agreed sanction, waiving right to a hearing before an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer.
Ducman has also been fined $75,000, with $56,250 suspended, the ITIA announced.
Ducman has been provisionally suspended since September 8, 2023, and time served under provisional suspension will be credited against Ducman’s period of ineligibility.
His suspension will end on March 7, 2034. During the suspension, Ducman is prohibited from officiating at or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the members of the ITIA: ATP, ITF, WTA, Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open, or any national association.
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve