Five tennis players banned for links to Belgian match-fixing syndicate

By The Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Five more tennis players linked to a match-fixing syndicate in Belgium have been banned from the sport. The International Tennis Integrity Agency says the charges stem from matches in 2017 and 2018 and “relate to contriving the outcome of matches, facilitating betting, accepting money in exchange for not giving best efforts, and failure to report corrupt approaches,” the ITIA said in a statement. Iván Endara of Ecuador was suspended for five years. Among the five, Endara had the career highest world singles ranking — No. 367 in July 2015. Four Mexican players also were banned.