Tennis: Samuel Bensoussan's match fixing ban extended by three years

French tennis player Samuel Bensoussan's ban for match fixing has been extended by three years following an unsuccessful appeal, the International Tennis Integrity Agency has confirmed.

Bensoussan was suspended for one year and 11 months last June after an independent anti-corruption hearing officer found the 34-year-old had fixed four matches.

Bensoussan was also linked to a criminal case involving a match-fixing syndicate in Belgium, and was fined $12,000 (£8,880) in addition to the ban.

Bensoussan appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to overturn his ban, but it was dismissed with all ITIA charges being upheld.

CAS then agreed that Bensoussan's sanction should be increased in line with similar cases, resulting in his suspension being extended until 2030.

Bensoussan was punished alongside three others players last year - Natthasith Kunsuwan, Jaimee Floyd Angele and Christian Lindell.

After increasing Bensoussan's ban, Cas noted that investigations had "uncovered a criminal organisation that corrupted at least 181 players worldwide and involved the manipulation of at least 375 tennis matches".

Bensoussan reached a career-high ranking of 405 in June 2018, and has not competed professionally since 2019.

Suspended individuals are not allowed to play in, coach at, or attend any events organised or sanctioned by World Tennis, the WTA, the ATP, or Grand Slams.

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