Koellerer loses appeal over life ban

Austrian tennis player Daniel Koellerer on Friday lost his appeal against a lifetime ban for attempted match-fixing. The 28-year-old, a former world 55, had already been found guilty by the Tennis Integrity Unit in April last year of violating the anti-corruption programme between October 2009 and July 2010. Koellerer appealed his punishment but the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld the ban, although the body did strike out the player's $100,000 fine. "The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed the decision to rule that Daniel Koellerer be permanently ineligible to participate in any event organised or sanctioned by any of the four tennis governing bodies: ATP, WTA, ITF and Grand Slam Committee," said a statement. "However, the CAS has decided to set aside the fine of $100,000 which had been imposed on the player." CAS heard that in January 2011, the tennis governing bodies notified Koellerer of their findings that he had made invitations to other players to fix matches on five occasions between October 24, 2009 and July 3, 2010.