Australian Open Junior Champion Charged With Match-Fixing

Victoria Police charged the Aussie


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Australian Open junior champion Oliver Anderson has been charged with match-fixing at a second-tier event in Victoria in October.

Fairfax Media named Queenslander Anderson as the 18-year-old who was charged by Victoria Police on Thursday morning following his defeat at a tournament in Traralgon.

Anderson, who defeated Jurabek Karimov to win the boys' title at Melbourne Park 12 months ago, is currently ranked 743rd in the world.

The police statement read: "La Trobe Crime Investigation Unit detectives charged an 18-year-old man on summons today following alleged match-fixing at a tennis tournament in Traralgon in October.

"Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit detectives and bookmakers assisted with the investigation. The Queensland man was charged with engaging in conduct that corrupts a betting outcome.

"He will appear at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court on March 2, 2017."

A spokesman for the Anderson family told Fairfax Media: "Oliver is cooperating fully with authorities. He now awaits the legal process."

The news comes less than two weeks before the start of the first grand slam of the season at Melbourne Park.

Tennis Australia last month announced increased measures to combat corruption, including the appointment of two full-time investigators to its National Integrity Unit, anti-corruption officers at all of its professional tournaments and increased prize money at lower levels where corruption is a serious problem.

At the second-tier tournament in Traralgon, Anderson won his opening match before losing to countryman John-Patrick Smith.

Ann West, head of integrity and compliance at Tennis Australia, told Fairfax: "We have upped the ante (but) it's disappointing, there's no doubt about it. You would be naive to say it wasn't."

Assistant Commissioner Neil Paterson says Victoria Police are determined to target match fixers and those who corrupt betting outcomes.

"Match fixing is one of the fastest growing organised crime types across the world at the present time," he said in a statement on Thursday.

Former Australian professional tennis player Nick Lindahl was given a 12-month good behaviour bond and fined $1000 in April last year after being found guilty of fixing a match in 2013 and attempting to conceal the evidence.

-AAP

6 January 2017




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