The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has today confirmed that Chilean tennis player Michel Vernier Quinteros has been banned from the sport for seven years and five months, after admitting match fixing offenses.
The case was dealt with under the 2022 Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) ‘Proposal for Disposition’ framework. This allows for a sanction to be handed down from the ITIA to the player upon admission of guilt, without the need for a hearing. In addition to the ban, the player has been fined $15,000 with $7,500 suspended.
The player is therefore prohibited from competing in or attending any sanctioned tennis events organised by the governing bodies of the sport backdated to the start of their provisional suspension 31 March 2022, until 30 August 2029.
29-year-old Vernier Quinteros had a highest ATP ranking of 664 and admitted receiving money for fixing the scores in matches in 2018, as well as failing to report corrupt approaches to the ITIA.
The breaches of the 2018 TACP rules that the player has admitted to are:
Section D.1.b: No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, solicit or facilitate any other person to wager on the outcome or any other aspect of any Event or any other tennis competition. For the avoidance of doubt, to solicit or facilitate to wager shall include, but not be limited to: display of live tennis betting odds on a Covered Person website; writing articles for a tennis betting publication or website; conducting personal appearances for a tennis betting company or any other company or entity directly affiliated with a tennis betting company; and appearing in commercials encouraging others to bet on tennis.
Section D.1.d: No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, solicit or facilitate any Player not to use his or her best efforts in any Event.
Section D.1.f: No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, solicit or accept any money, benefit or Consideration with the intention of negatively influencing a Player’s best efforts in any Event.
Section D.2.b.i: In the event any Related Person or Tournament Support person is approaches by any person who offers or provides any type of money, benefit or Consideration to a Related Person or a Tournament Person to (i) influence or attempt to influence the outcome of any aspect of any Event, or (ii) provide Inside Information, it shall be the Related Person’s or Tournament Support Person’s obligation to report such incident to the TIU [now ITIA] as soon as possible.
The ITIA is an independent body established by the International Governing Bodies of Tennis to promote, encourage, enhance and safeguard the integrity of professional tennis worldwide.
Ends
Published 19 July 2022 11:00
