The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has announced the provisional suspensions of three professional athletes: Timur Khabibulin, Sanjar Fayziev, and Igor Smilansky. These players have been accused of violating the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) by attempting to manipulate match outcomes.
According to the ITIA, the provisional suspensions will remain in place until the final sanctions are determined. The decision was made by Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer Janie Soublière, based on the following TACP rule:
“In the event that the Covered Person is found liable of one or more of the charges against them and sanction is not determined at the same time as the decision on liability, the AHO, either of the AHO’s own volition or on an application by the ITIA, must impose a Provisional Suspension pending the final decision on sanction.”
As of July 25, the three players are prohibited from competing in or attending any sanctioned sports events organized or recognized by tennis governing bodies.
Multiple TACP Violations by the Players
The ITIA reported that Khabibulin, Fayziev, and Smilansky have career peak rankings of 753, 253, and 451, respectively. According to Soublière, Khabibulin, who was born in Kazakhstan, committed 18 TACP violations between 2014 and 2018. Fayziev, from Uzbekistan, and Smilansky, from Israel, committed 5 and 3 TACP breaches, respectively, in collaboration with Khabibulin.
The three players conspired to manipulate match aspects for wagering purposes and failed to report corrupt approaches. Additionally, Khabibulin offered money to other players to influence their performance.
ITIA’s Continued Efforts to Combat Fraud
The ITIA is an independent organization established by the International Governing Bodies of Tennis to safeguard the sport from fraud and manipulation. Recently, the ITIA banned Bolivian umpire Percy Flores for 12 years over similar TACP violations.
The ITIA has also partnered with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to launch mandatory integrity education for players with an active Juniors International Player Identification Number. This program aims to educate players on the nature of fraud and its consequences.
In July, the ITIA sanctioned Australian coach Mark Philippoussis for violating sponsorship rules in professional tennis. Philippoussis had participated in a voiceover promoting a gambling operator’s products.
For more information, visit the ITIA’s official website.
