NALBANDIAN REFUTES CONTROVERSY

Nalbandian has reacted angrily to claims by the Australian Open staff that he threw water at them after his tempestuous game against John Isner. The veteran Argentinean player lost in five sets 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 8-10 in a fantastic second round tie but there was controversy on and off the court during proceedings.

During the final set of the match, at 8-8, Nalbandian was denied the opportunity to use hawk-eye by the umpire when he had a break point, after the umpire overruled a fault call by one of the linesmen. The umpire informed the Argentine that he was too late to question the decision, and an argument ensued for several minutes, in which the umpire said that hawk-eye is used at his discretion and made it clear that the player wasn’t in a position to demand its use.

Nalbandian was still furious after the match, which ended with him losing the next two games. “I mean, it’s ridiculous playing this kind of tournament with this kind of umpires. What is this? Why did the ATP do this?” said Nalbandian. “I mean, can you be that stupid to do that in that moment?”

The other incident occurred straight after the match. The Argentine allegedly threw water at one of the staff members after the match, a charge which he utterly denies.

“I fully deny throwing water after the match I played against Isner,” Nalbandian said on twitter. “During anti-doping control, I was washing my hands and the doctor incredibly accused to me of throwing water at him.”

The two separate clashes with tournament staff have infuriated Nalbandian, and he has not accepted that he was in the wrong in either case. “Two injustices — one inside and another one outside the court. I am going to appeal the sanction.” He was handed an $8,000 fine for the offence, and has ten days to lodge his appeal.

Nalbandian must now re-group and focus on the up-coming Majors in France and England – he remains one of the favourites to win the title on English soil according to the latest odds on the Wimbledon betting markets.