Frenchman Constant Lestienne has been banned for seven months for betting on 220 matches ©Getty Images

Frenchman Constant Lestienne has been given a seven-month ban and a fine of $10,000 (£7,700/€9,000) for betting on 220 matches between February 2012 and June 2015, the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) has announced.

Half of the suspension - three months and two weeks - has been suspended on the condition that the world number 164 commits no further offences under the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme (TACP).

The TIU has also confirmed $5,000 (£3,900/€4,500) of his fine will be written off if he agrees to give them "further assistance", which could include helping educate other players in the game on anti-corruption.

Lestienne, who has never won an ATP title, placed the bets in the two-and-a-half year period with online bookmakers Betclic and Pari Mutel Ubain.

He accepted the charges handed down to him by the TIU, established in 2008 to combat betting-related corruption in the sport.

Lestienne himself was not involved in any of the matches he bet on, the TIU said.

"The suspension applies with immediate effect and means the player is not allowed to compete in, or attend, any tournament or event organised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of the sport," the TIU said in a statement.

Frenchman Constant Lestienne, currently world number 164 in the world, will serve only half of his seven month suspension on the condition that he commits no further offences under the TACP ©Getty Images
Frenchman Constant Lestienne, currently world number 164 in the world, will serve only half of his seven month suspension on the condition that he commits no further offences under the TACP ©Getty Images

The TACP states that no players - and "covered persons" such as coaches - "shall, directly or indirectly, wager or attempt to wager on the outcome or any other aspect of any Event or any other tennis competition".

The TIU’s announcement comes after Uzebkistan umpires Sherzod Hasanov and Arkhip Molotyagin were banned for life by the International Tennis Federation for betting-related offences.

Bulgarian Danail Tarpov, then ranked at 1109 in the world, has also been sanctioned for a betting-related offence after he was given a three-month suspended suspension and a fine of €5,000 (£4,300/$5,600) for a betting-related offence in July.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport then heard the appeal of Greek tennis player Alexandros Jakupovic, who is appealing a lifetime ban from the sport handed down by the TIU in December.

Jakupovic, a former a member of the Greek Davis Cup team, appearing in 29 ties for his country, was found guilty on five counts of corruption.

Allegations of widespread match-fixing in tennis were revealed on the eve of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, in January.