Serbian tennis player banned for match-fixing

[September 06, 2012]  LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- Serbian tennis player David Savic was found guilty of match-fixing and had his life ban confirmed by world sport's highest court on Thursday.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said its panel found it was proven that Savic "made invitations to another tennis player to fix the outcome" of matches.

Savic will be "permanently ineligible to participate in any event organized or sanctioned by any tennis governing body," the court ruled.

The three-lawyer panel rejected Savic's appeal against a life ban imposed last year by the sport's Tennis Integrity Unit. It was created by the International Tennis Federation and men's and women's professional tours to prosecute allegations of corruption.

Savic, who reached a career-high No. 363 ranking in 2009, claimed he was set up by a "current top player" who told the TIU that Savic asked him to fix a match in exchange for money. The player was not identified.

He denied conspiring to fix matches and claimed he was made a scapegoat to become "a drastic example for other players."

Savic was the second tennis player to receive a lifetime ban for match-fixing. Austrian Daniel Koellerer was banned in May 2011.

CAS ruled Savic should not pay the $100,000 fine imposed by the TIU.

[Associated Press]

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