Cristobal Saavedra-Corvalan suspended and fined for failing to co-operate with TIU corruption investigation
Chilean player was ranked 663 in singles when provisionally suspended in October 2017
28-year old Chilean tennis player Cristobal Saavedra-Corvalan has been suspended for two and a half years and fined $8,000 after being found guilty of failing to co-operate with a Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) investigation.
Independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer (AHO) Prof Richard H. McLaren considered the case at a disciplinary Hearing held in Miami on 11 December 2018. His decision and applicable sanctions were confirmed today, 8 January 2019.
On 16 October 2017 Mr Saavedra-Corvalan was provisionally suspended from playing by AHO McLaren, as a result of his failure to comply with a series of requests for information from the TIU. The two and a half year period of suspension now imposed is backdated to begin from that date and means that the player is not allowed to compete in, or attend, any tournament or event organised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of the sport.
Assuming no further breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) are incurred, he will be eligible to resume playing tennis from 15 April 2020.
Mr Saavedra-Corvalan was charged under Section F.2.b of the TACP which requires all Covered Persons to co-operate with TIU investigations into potential breaches of integrity:
“All Covered Persons must co-operate fully with investigations conducted by the TIU including giving evidence at hearings, if requested. No Covered Person shall tamper with or destroy any evidence or other information related to any Corruption Offense.”
He achieved a career-high singles ranking of 284 in November 2011 and was ranked 663 at the time of his provisional suspension in October 2017.
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.
Published 08 January 2019 18:00
