5 low-ranked French tennis players receive bans for links to a match-fixing syndicate

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LONDON — One low-ranked French tennis player was banned for life from the sport, and four others were given suspensions varying from two to 10 years, for match-fixing linked to a syndicate in Belgium, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said Friday.

More than 30 players have been punished for connections to Grigor Sargsyan, the syndicate leader who previously received a five-year custodial sentence in the case.

Yannick Thivant, 38, was handed a lifetime ban and fined $75,000 after admitting he fixed 22 matches — including 16 he played in — from 2017 to 2018. Thivant reached a career-high ranking of 590th in 2015.

Thomas Setodji, 29, received a 10-year ban and a fine of $20,000 for being found liable of fixing three matches in 2017 and failing to report someone who approached him about corruption the next year. Setodji’s best ranking came last year, when he was No. 794.

Thomas Brechemier, 28, was suspended for 7 1/2 years and fined after admitting to fixing 11 matches from 2017 to 2018. Brechemir’s best ranking was No. 399 in 2017.

Gabriel Petit, 29, was banned for 6 1/2 years and fined after failing to respond to charges from the ITIA, which the integrity agency considers an acceptance of liability. Petit, who reached No. 450 in the rankings in 2018, was accused of fixing seven matches in 2017 and 2018.

Hugo Daubias, 28, got a two-year suspension and a $15,000 fine after admitting he fixed two matches in 2017. He was ranked a career-high 972nd in 2017.

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The Associated Press