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  • Bet probe starting to wear down Davydenko

    9/1/08 12:41 AM | Johan Lindahl
    - The never-ending ATP betting probe which has made life an uncertainty for well over a year is starting to wear down resilient Russian Nikolay Davydenko.

    The scapegoat of the game has been on tenterhooks since August, 2007, after being named in a potential match-fix at an event in Poland after losing a match which he had been tipped to easily win.

    Davydenko and his camp have vigorously denied any claims of impropriety over an anonymous contest which somehow generated a massive $7 million in online betting.

    Even after a long-running probe by tennis authorities, nothing is settled. But the drama is draining to a player who once defined over-achievement by playing nearly non-stop all season long.

    “I believe it (the probe) will finish this year for sure”, said loser of the last two US Open semi-finals to Roger Federer.

    It's all gone silent for Davydenko, who says he has not heard from investigators in nearly a year. “I think it's good. I'm trying to think only of the tennis”.

    But the Russian says the uncertain process is playing with his concentration and focus. “I still play, I don't want to be quit tennis. I'm still trying to play better and better. Hopefully I can find my game and my confidence”.

    This summer has been one of the lightest in Davydenko's career. The competitor who regularly played up to 30 events a year missed nearly a month after a Wimbledon first-round loss.

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