Former Australian tennis player Nick Lindahl banned for match-fixing

Nick Lindahl, a former Australian Open junior champion, has been banned from professional tennis for a period of seven years after pleading guilty to match-fixing, per reports.

The Australian tennis player rose to No. 187 in the ATP singles rankings before retiring from the sport in 2013. Lindahl came under the scanner just a few days after Oliver Anderson, another former Australian Open junior champion, was found guilty of match-fixing for charges relating to a match at the Traralgon Challenger tournament last October, per a statement from Victoria Police.

TIU cracks down on match-fixing in Australia

The Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU), which is responsible for policing tennis in Australia, announced Tuesday that 28-year-old Lindahl attempted to throw a match during a minor Aussie tourney in 2013. Following the crackdown of Anderson, the TIU dug further into corruption in the sport and declared that the trio of Lindahl besides the duo of Australian players -- Brandon Walkin and Isaac Frost -- were also guilty of match-fixing.

"He (Lindahl) 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 TIU said via a statement, per BBC. The statement revealed that Lindahl tried to alter the result of a match during the 2013 F6 Tournament (Australia) in Toowoomba, Queensland.

According to ABC News, Lindahl "refused to provide his mobile phone for forensic download on the TIU's request in October 2013." The report further added that Walkin and Frost, the other Australian tennis players guilty of match-fixing, had previously cooperated with the TIU and were free to compete in any professional tennis event provided they exhibit "good behaviour".

Nick Lindahl will be allowed to resume playing professional tennis after a period of seven years.