Davydenko Wimbledon Loss Raises Gambling Influence Question Again
As soon as new rules are instituted by the governing bodies of tennis, attempting to clean their sport of whispers of match-fixing and gambling influences, a match result arises to set everyone's teeth on edge.
Nikolay Davydenko, the fourth seed in the men's draw, lost ignominiously to German Benjamin Becker, who is definitely neither related to nor to be confused with Boris Becker. Benjamin Becker had a career record of 35-47 in men's singles match play, and is the 89th ranked player in the world.
Davydenko was a participant in what became the most notoriously suspicious match in recent tennis history, one in which online casinos reported unusually high betting on Davydenko's opponent, Argentinian Martin Vassallo Arguello. Davydenko, posted as the heavy favorite, withdrew in the third set, blaming an injury of dubious nature.
The match drew a spotlight to tennis wagering in general; almost every player interviewed said he had heard of players being asked to fix matches. Online gambling sites did their best to help the sport, sharing knowledge of any suspicious or unusual betting patterns.
Just two days ago, the Association of Tennis Professionals, the Women's Tennis Association, and other tennis bodies joined in standardizing tough rules designed to reduce outside influences and keep matches honest, and a new policing arm was formed to investigate shady play.
Well, now they can go to work. Davydenko blamed himself for the loss, saying he played as poorly as Becker played well. When asked about his loss in the context of his recent history, Davydenko said, "Nobody can prove anything. I think there's no match-fixing in tennis."
If any evidence he is lying can be found, any trail of money or associates, Davydenko needs to be made an example.
