Chinese tennis player Zheng Baoluo has been banned for nine months for corruption, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed on Friday.

The 21-year-old approached an opponent with the offer of money in return for deliberately losing a match at a tournament in Egypt last October.

Zheng was also fined $5,000 (4,700 euros), of which $2,000 was suspended, after admitting breaching the sport’s Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP) rules.

The player, who had a career-high ranking of 525 in doubles, admitted his guilt, with the case decided without the need for a hearing.

The suspension will run from October 27, the date of the player’s provisional suspension, until July 26 next year.

“During this time the player is prohibited from playing in or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of tennis,” the ITIA said.