Alexandr Dolgopolov denied suggestions of match fixing in his recent 6-3, 6-3 defeat to Thiago Monteiro in Winston-Salem, saying he was tired from extra training and has spoken to officials about the encounter.
The Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) announced that it was investigating the match because of suspicious betting patterns, in which Dolgopolov was the odds-on favorite until large amounts of money appeared to have been put on his opponent. Bookmakers suspended betting on the encounter.
Suspicious betting patterns can indicate match fixing, but can also occur for other reasons, like knowledge of an injury.
The 28-year-old fell to Nick Kyrgios in the second round of Cincinnati the week before.
"I was giving my best effort," Dolgopolov was quoted as telling journalists following his first-round win at the US Open. "I wasn’t playing my best. I was doing a lot of practice before because I wasn’t feeling good against Kyrgios in Cincinnati.
"I wasn’t happy with my physical condition and I knew by New York I needed to get some work done. I was working hard and playing under tiredness."
Dologopolov said he had been unhappy with the way the issue had been portrayed in the media.
"I don't want to even talk about it. I talked to the TIU. I respect their work, I gave all the information needed," he said. "That's going to be what happens, and these guys are still going to write that bull----."
The Ukrainian expressed confidence that he would not be found to have committed any violation of anti-corruption rules.
"What's going to happen is I'm not involved in anything," he said. "...For me, writing these things before there is an investigation is silly."
Dolgopolov is into the second round of Flushing Meadows following his five-set win in the first round.
