By IANS
Paris : Russian tennis player Nikolay Davydenko is at the centre of fresh controversy after losing to Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus at the Paris Masters.
The world number four was told Thursday by chair umpire Cedric Mourier to “try your best” after the official questioned why he was serving so many double faults.
At last week’s St Petersburg Open, Davydenko was fined $2,000 for not trying hard enough against Croat Marin Cilic.
The Russian is currently under investigation by the ATP over a match in August that featured irregular betting patterns.
Online betting exchange Betfair voided bets on that match between Davydenko and the 87th-ranked Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello in Poland.
After the 2-6, 2-6 defeat Thursday, when Baghdatis asked him “What’s wrong?” Davydenko replied “I don’t know”.
He served 10 double faults and was broken five times by the Cypriot in a match that lasted an hour and 13 minutes.
Davydenko admitted afterward he feared getting an official warning from the umpire.
“He just asked me what was happening. I told him I couldn’t explain,” he said.
Baghdatis said: “He didn’t serve well but he played well, but I was not thinking about the stories and rumours about him. I don’t know if they are true or not. I needed to be focussed and play well. That’s what I did.”
An ATP statement on its website said: “What was said between Cedric Mourier and Nikolay Davydenko was a normal exchange between an umpire and player and the ATP will not be taking the matter any further.”