Nikolay Davydenko has finally been found innocent of alleged match-fixing in a game at the Sopot Open in Poland in August last year. After a 12-month investigation, the ATP have found no evidence that Davydenko or his opponent Martin Vasallo Arguello from Argentina had any involvement in fixing their second round match.
Davydenko was ranked fifth in the world at the time and should have been the clear favourite to defeat Arguello who was ranked only number 87 in the world. However, irregular betting patterns were reported on the match with Arguello being the favourite with betting exchange, Betfair. Even after Davydenko won the first set, the Russian’s odds of winning were still lengthening. Davydenko then had to pull out with a foot injury in the third set forfeiting the match to Arguello.
The suspicious circumstances of the match led to the ATP investigation. This is just one of many cases in which there have been allegations of match-fixing with tennis players betting on tennis match outcomes in the last couple of years. This has led to the ATP setting up a Tennis Integrity Unit to stamp out corruption in the sport.
With the spotlight on Davydenko, the Russian player was fined $2,000 for a lack of effort in a match on home soil in the St. Petersburg Open a couple of months after the incident in Poland. In this particular match he was a set up but lost the match thanks to a total of ten double faults in the next two sets.
Davydenko claimed he did put the effort in, in that match in St. Petersburg and he was genuinely injured in the match in Poland. Although the match-fixing investigation for the Davydenko versus Arguello match is the longest in the history of the game, Davydenko has said he always remained confident his name would be cleared.
Davydenko did, however, state in a press conference during this year’s Wimbledon fortnight that he may have tipped off betters by discussing how his foot was in pain in a conversation with his wife before taking on Arguello.
The ATP have issued a statement on the investigation that says, “The ATP has now exhausted all avenues of inquiry and the investigation is now concluded.
“A fundamental role of the ATP is to ensure that men’s professional tennis continues to be free of corruption.
“For this reason, the ATP instigated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the match in Sopot.
“ATP can confirm that it has concluded its investigation and found no evidence of a violation of its rules by either Mr Arguello or Mr Davydenko or anyone else associated with the match.”
