Russian Nikolay Davydenko said on Wednesday he was worried his reputation would suffer after becoming embroiled in a betting controversy.
Davydenko retired because of a foot injury early in the third set of his match with Martin Vasallo Arguello of Argentina at the ATP event in Sopot last week, only to discover the next day the match was at the centre of a betting scandal.
"It's so surprising," a bemused Davydenko told reporters in Montreal, where he beat Finn Jarkko Nieminen in the second round of the Masters Series tournament.
"Like, who can know that I can be injured and (would) retire in my match? I am disappointed, because I'm a top player and people are talking (about it) not only in Russia, in my country, (but) also talking everywhere in the world.
"It is pretty tough for me, I get more pressure now. Mentally, it's pretty tough."
British betting exchange Betfair, which allows clients to bet against each other and act both as gambler and bookmaker, voided all bets on the match.
Fans sing praises as Federer celebrates birthday win
MONTREAL: Roger Federer had little to sing about as he struggled against the tree-top serve of Ivo Karlovic before carving out a place in the third round of the ATP Montreal Masters.
But the challenging Wednesday win, by a score of 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/3), as the Swiss turned 26 still served as an opportunity for local fans.
They tried mightily to start the birthday celebrations early, interrupting the tense second set with a sing-along of the Quebecois version of "Happy Birthday" before Federer was later presented with a cake on court.
"I enjoy it, of course," said the Swiss, playing for the first time since lifting a fifth straight Wimbledon title four weeks ago.
"At the same time, I'm struggling to get a ball back against this guy and they're singing happy birthday.
"Are they seeing the same match as me," he said with a smile, four years after last celebrating a birthday here with a win over Tommy Robredo.
Source:China Daily/Agent
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article