Former junior Grand Slam champion Oliver Anderson was found guilty of match fixing by an Australian court, receiving a two-year good-behavior order and a fine of AU$500.
Anderson, who won the 2016 Boys’ Singles title at the Australian Open, was found by a judge in Victoria, Australia, to have deliberately dropped the first set during a Challenger match in Traralgon in 2016. The fix was part of a prearranged agreement with an acquaintance.
A gambler placed $2,000 on Anderson to drop the first set, having initially attempted to bet $10,000, and also attempted a further $13,000 multi bet that included Anderson winning in three sets. The $10,000 and $13,000 bets were denied by the bookmaker. The match created a suspicious betting alert, leading Victoria police to begin an investigation.
Anderson had admitted to the charge.
Anderson's attorney told the court that the 19-year-old player had been concerned about having to repay a corporate sponsorship because of injury, and agreed to throw the set to get some extra earnings for that purpose. In addition, he said, Anderson had not known what amount he would receive from the fixing agreement, and also had not received anything.
Anderson's attorney told the *AAP* that a Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) investigation was also ongoing. That could lead to a ban from playing the sport and further fines.
