Cecchinato, who was a fourth-man reserve for the Italian Davis Cup team last week, becomes the most high-profile player in recent years to be nabbed for fixing matches. PHOTO: AFP
Cecchinato, who was a fourth-man reserve for the Italian Davis Cup team last week, is one of three Italian players, along with Riccardo Accardi and Antonio Campo, to face sanctions.
He is notably accused of altering the outcome of a match with Polish opponent Kamil Majchrzak at a Moroccan challenger event in October 2015, with the aim of benefiting financially from illegally betting on the match.
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Accardi (12 months and €20,000) and Campo (four months, €10,000) were also sanctioned for their roles in an affair which saw the trio collude to rig matches.
A statement from the FIT said Cecchinato has been banned and fined “for violating” articles relating to “loyalty, honesty and fairness” in his role as a professional.
It added, “Cecchinato altered, in order to obtain illegal gains, the outcome of his singles match against Kamil Majchrzak at the ATP challenger [event] Mohammedia 2015.
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“He did the same in a doubles match, played alongside Luca Vanni against Betov-Elgin, in the ATP challenger of Prostejov, again in 2015.”
Vanni was handed a token fine of €300 for being implicated in the fixing allegations.
Cecchinato was also found guilty of “giving confidential information about a meeting between Andreas Seppi and John Isner at Roland Garros 2015”.
He has the right to appeal, but if rejected the Palermo-based player will be suspended until January 17, 2018.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 21st, 2016.
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