Constant Lestienne banned for seven months after betting on matches

Tennis player Constant Lestienne has been banned for seven months after admitting to betting on matches.

France.- French tennis player Constant Lestienne has been banned for seven months after admitting to betting on matches. Half of the sentence, handed out by the International Tennis Federation, will be suspended whilst Lestienne has also been fined US$10,000.

The ITF, which investigated Lestienne in collaboration with ARJEL, the French online gambling regulator, declared the world No 164 placed bets on 220 matches using online accounts between February 2012 and June of last year, although the ITF says none of the bets were related to matches in Lestienne played.

If Lestienne attends the Tennis Integrity Unit formed in 2008 by the ATP, WTA, ITF and Grand Slam Committee the Tour player’s fine will be reduced to US$5,000.