2016 junior Australian Open champion Oliver Anderson has avoided a police conviction after being found guilty of committing a match-fixing offence.
The 19-year-old has admitted that he deliberately threw a set at an Australian Challenger event last year. Facing Harrison Lombe, a player ranked 900 places lower than him at the time, Anderson lost the first set 4-6, before dropping just two games in the following two sets. The suspicious match was reported to police authorities by betting company Crownbet after a punter tried to place a $7493 wager on the match. Crownbet refused the wager, but the unidentified man successfully placed a smaller bet of $1498.
There has been no comment from the police over the identity of the individual placing the bet. Magistrate Charles Tan said they were ‘a friend’ of the player. According to news sources, that has been no confirmation if this person is being prosecuted by relevant authorities.
Anderson’s barrister, Ben Ihle, has argued that the teenager agreed to corrupt his match due to money worries. Arguing for his client’s innocence, Ihle said Anderson was worried that he would be unable to fulfil his commitments with a sponsor due to injury. He said the player faced a ‘real prospect’ of being sued by the sponsor if he was unable to repay the contract.
“He has never craved or sought the limelight — quite the opposite” Ihle said, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
“The talent he has had as a tennis player has been as much a burden for him as a gift.
“This is a thoroughly honest individual who has made a very, very, very stupid mistake.”
A rising star in Australian tennis, Anderson achieved a professional ranking high of 639 last July. On the junior circuit, he stunned four seeded players to win the Australian Open boys’ title in 2016.
Attending his court hearing, the 19-year-old has been fined $500 and given a three-year adjourned undertaking (a good behaviour bond). The sentence took into account Anderson’s cooperation with the police.
There is still a chance that Anderson could be banned from the sport. Later this year he is due to attend a hearing with the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU), the policing body of the sport. The TIU recently handed suspensions to players Junn Mitsuhashi, Konstantinos Mikos and Nikita Kryvonos for match-fixing.
In January 2016 a joint report by the BBC and Buzzfeed News alleged widespread match-fixing in tennis. The allegations were heavily denied by the governing body of tennis, who defended the effectiveness of their anti-corruption policy.
