The Tennis Integrity Unit announced on 9 January that Australian tennis player Brandon Walkin would be suspended for six months for his part in match fixing. The good news for Brandon is that it is suspended. That saw Walkin out on court at the Canberra Challenger tennis event in both doubles and singles action.
Australian Brandon Walkin plays on despite receiving a suspension from the Tennis Integrity Unit.
Walkin faced the tournament top seed Jan-Lennard Struff in the opening round of the singles and lost 6-4, 6-4 to the 64th ranked player from Germany. In the doubles Walkin teamed up with USA’s Nathan Pasha.
Pasha and Walkin took on Daniel Nolan and Calum Puttergill in the first round and just got past their opponents 4-6, 6-3, 10-8. In the second round on centre court Pasha and Walkin lost to Ben McLachlan and Steven De Waard 7-6, 7-6.
Later in the week Puttergill was making headlines for the wrong reason as he received a suspension for betting on tennis matches.
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Below is the text from a media release that announced the suspension for Walkin.
Nick Lindahl – banned for seven years and fined US$35,000
Brandon Walkin – six months suspension, suspended for 6 months
Isaac Frost – has served suspension for failing to co-operate with a TIUinvestigation
Australian tennis players Nick Lindahl, Brandon Walkin and Isaac Frost have been disciplined after being found guilty of tennis corruption offences relating to an ITF Futures tournament in Toowoomba, Queensland in September 2013.
The decisions follow investigations by the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) and disciplinary Hearings held by independent anti-corruption Hearing Officer Richard H. McLaren.
Mr Lindahl, who reached a career high singles ranking of 187, has been banned from all professional tennis for seven years and fined US$35,000. He was found guilty of charges of contriving or attempting to contrive the outcome of an event, and failing to co-operate with a TIU investigation.
The corruption offence took place at the Australian F6 Tournament in Toowoomba, Queensland, in September 2013. Mr Lindahl proposed to lose a match in return for payment, which is a violation of Section D.1.d. of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program(Program).
In October 2013, he refused to provide his cell phone for forensic download, as requested by the TIU, in violation of Section F.2.c. of the Program.
Although Mr Lindahl, 28, retired from the sport in 2013, today’s decision prevents him from resuming playing professional tennis for the seven years of the ban. He is also prohibited from attending any tournament or event organised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of the sport for that period.
Disciplinary action from the tennis authorities follows completion of criminal proceedings against him by law enforcement agencies in Australia. In April 2016 he was convicted of using corrupt conduct information and fined Aus$1000 in Burwood Local Court, New South Wales.
Two players associated with Mr Lindahl’s corrupt activity at the Toowoomba tournament have also been found guilty of disciplinary offences by Mr McLaren.
Brandon Walkin at the Canberra Challenger tennis event
Brandon Walkin, 22, a singles player ranked 1,066, was given a six months suspension after being found guilty of a charge of contriving or attempting to contrive the outcome of an event, a violation of Section D.1.d. of the Program. The charge involved him passing a corrupt proposal to another party on behalf of Mr Lindahl. Mr Walkin’s sanction is suspended for six months on the basis that he commits no further breaches of the Program in that period. The player is therefore free to compete in any professional tennis event.Isaac Frost, 28, ranked 1,515 in singles, was found to have failed to co-operate with the TIU by refusing a request to supply his cell phone for analysis during the investigation.
As a result, he served a period of provisional suspension between 3 October 2013 and 4 September 2014, for failing to co-operate. Hearing officer McLaren concluded that no additional suspension or any fine should be imposed. Mr Frost is free to compete in any professional tennis event.
The Tennis Integrity Unit is an initiative of the Grand Slam Board, the International Tennis Federation, the ATP and the WTA, who are jointly committed to a zero tolerance approach to corruption in tennis.
The breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program involved in these cases relate to Sections D.1.d and F.2.c, namely:
D.1.d No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, contrive or attempt to contrive the outcome or any other aspect of any Event
F.2.c If the TIU believes that a Covered Person may have committed a Corruption Offense, the TIU may make a Demand to any Covered Person to furnish to the TIU any information regarding the alleged Corruption Offense, including, without limitation, (i) records relating to the alleged Corruption Offense (including, without limitation, itemized telephone billing statements, text of SMS messages received and sent, banking statements, Internet service records, computers, hard drives and other electronic information storage devices), and (ii) a written statement setting forth the facts and circumstances with respect to the alleged Corruption Offense. The Covered Person shall furnish such information within seven business days of the making of such Demand, or within such other time as may be set by the TIU. Any information furnished to the TIU shall be (i) kept confidential except when it becomes necessary to disclose such information in furtherance of the prosecution of a Corruption Offense, or when such information is reported to administrative, professional, or judicial authorities pursuant to an investigation or prosecution of non-sporting laws or regulations and (ii) used solely for the purposes of the investigation and prosecution of a Corruption Offense
