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Betting on Davydenko match probed
Davydenko has been on a poor run of form since Wimbledon
Tennis is at the centre of a gambling investigation after an online bookmaker stopped payouts over a match involving world number four Nikolay Davydenko.
The Russian pulled out with an injury while losing 2-6 6-3 2-1 in a match to Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello.
Bookmaker Betfair is investigating irregular betting patterns on the game.
About £3.4m had been bet before the match and during the first set - 10 times the amount typical for a match of this kind, distorting the market.
Interview: Betfair's Mark Davies
BBC Five Live tennis correspondent Jonathan Overend said: "The betting patterns prompted immediate suspicions, both from online punters and Betfair officials.
"An investigation has been launched and payouts suspended.
"The ATP, the governing body of the men's tour, has been informed, and it's not the first time it has been alerted in this way.
We have suspended payouts and we will consider what we can do in order to ensure fairness and transparency
Betfair spokesman Mark Davies
"Betfair will consider its next move at an emergency meeting [on Friday morning]."
Betfair spokesman Mark Davies told BBC Radio Five Live: "It's not so much the amount that was bet, it's the prices at which they were bet.
"Davydenko won the first set but during the course of winning it, his price drifted out not in. That doesn't strike us as a normal betting pattern.
"We have an understanding with the ATP that we can share information with them so that they can know exactly what bets were taking place and from who, so we'll be liaising with them.
"We have suspended payouts and we will consider what we can do in order to ensure fairness and transparency."
A spokesman for the tour told the Guardian newspaper: "The ATP takes issues surrounding gambling extremely seriously.
"We are committed to ensuring our sport remains corruption free and have strict rules in place governing this area.
"It would be inappropriate for us to comment further on any individual match or on the status of any potential investigation until such time as the process has been completed."
I must think about other tournaments, I don't want to aggravate the injury
Nikolay Davydenko
Davydenko's withdrawal in his second round match at the Sopot tournament followed a poor run, in which he has lost in the first round of his last three events.
"I had problems with my foot in the first round," said Davydenko, the defending champion at Sopt.
"I must think about other important tournaments. I don't want to aggravate the injury."
The US Open, where Davydenko made the semis last year, starts on 27 August.
"Normally I try to fight to the end but it was very painful and I may have done even more damage by trying to finish the match," said top seed Davydenko.
"Since the beginning of Monday I've had a problem with my left toes. Today that became a problem with my foot.
"In the second set it was very painful and I couldn't run the way I normally do."
Second seed Tommy Robredo was in trouble against in-form Belgian Steve Darcis before fighting back to win 1-6 6-0 7-5.
Darcis got a break to lead 4-3 in the third set, but Robredo immediately broke back to level and the Spaniard then broke again at 6-5 to close the match.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/6928635.stm
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