FORMER pro tennis player and coach Nick Lindahl has been arrested by NSW police for allegedly throwing a match so another former player and his friends would win thousands of dollars.

NSW Organised Crime Squad investigators today raided a house in Liberty Grove as part of a strike force investigating the fixing of a professional tennis match in Toowoomba in 2013.

media_camera Lindahl played in the Australian Open twice. media_camera In 2009, Lindahl beat Bernard Tomic for a wildcard into the Australian Open.

media_camera Former professional tennis player Nick Lindahl was arrested yesterday.

Following the raid the former top-200 ranked tennis player was charged with a range of offences associated with match-fixing, including facilitating conduct which corrupted a betting outcome and use of corrupt conduct information for betting purposes.

Another man at the house was also arrested and charged with hindering a police investigation.

The charges followed a two-year investigation into the match, which was initiated when a betting agency noticed an unusual amount of money being placed on a qualifying match between Lindahl and a non-seeded player at the 2013 Toowoomba Futures Six tournament in September.

The agency reported the activity to Tennis Australia after several parties bet thousands of dollars on Lindahl losing the match, despite him being favoured to beat the lower-ranked opponent.

media_camera Former professional tennis player Nick Lindahl was arrested yesterday accused of throwing a match in 2013 for betting purposes.

Det-Supt Cook said it was the first time the NSW squad had charged a professional tennis player for match-fixing.

“It’s not common ... we’ve only done it once or twice with other sports,” Det-Supt Cook said.

“While we hear a lot about sports betting and organised crime involvement in sport, we’re not seeing a lot of actionable evidence of it.

“There is no evidence out of this case that indicates a systemic issue or a large level or organised crime involvement in sport.”

Lindahl, 26, was originally from Sweden and turned pro on the Australian tennis circuit in 2006.

He played in the Australian Open twice - in 2008 and 2010 - but was bundled out in the first round both times.

Reaching a career-high ranking of 187, Lindahl earned almost $220,000 prize money over his career.

The investigation was referred to NSW Police from Victorian Police after Matthew Charles Fox, a friend and former tennis player and coach, was convicted of betting on the same match.

media_camera Lindahl was arrested at a home in Liberty Grove.

media_camera Former professional tennis player Nick Lindahl.

The Melbourne court heard in December last year that Fox and Lindahl agreed that Lindahl would throw the match, and Fox would bet on the fixed results.

Fox pleaded guilty to a range of offences, including using corrupt conduct information to bet on two matches, and was fined $3500.

The case was then referred to the NSW Organised Crime Squad because the betting agency involved was based in Sydney, as was Lindahl.

NSW Organised Crime Squad commander Scott Cook said investigators were also expected to issue a court attendance notice to another man, a 25-year-old from Valentine, in relation to match-fixing offences for the same match.

Det-Supt Cook said police encouraged other betting agencies and sporting bodies to be proactive in stamping out match-fixing in Australia.

“Lessons we’ve learned at the organised crime squad show how easy it is to engage in this type of activity, however it also highlights than when betting agencies act responsibly and report anomalies or unusual betting, this type of behaviour can be stamped out,” he said.

Lindahl will appear at Burwood Local Court on March 12, along with the 24 year old man charged with hindering the investigation.