Junn Mitsuhashi: Japanese gets life ban for match-fixing offences

Japan's Junn Mitsuhashi has been banned from tennis for life after being found guilty of match-fixing offences.

The 27-year-old, who asked players to underperform at ITF Futures tournaments in South Africa and Nigeria in 2015, was also fined $50,000 (£38,600).

Mitsuhashi placed 76 bets on matches in 2015 and did not co-operate with Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) enquiries into the allegations, which are both offences.

He was world number 295 in 2009 but had fallen to 1,997th by the end of 2015.

In November 2015, he asked Joshua Chetty, who was banned in September 2016 after a separate TIU investigation, to underperform in a tournament in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

He offered $2,000 to underperform in a singles match and $600 in a doubles match.

In December 2015, he approached a different player at the ITF Futures F4 Tournament in Lagos, Nigeria, asking him to fix aspects of a match.

His betting infringements came in October and November 2015.

The ban from all professional tennis applies with immediate effect.