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SPORTS A19
Thursday 21 January 2016
Djokovic wins, and again faces questions about match-fixing
JOHN PYE top players losing in the he was not fully fit because Alexandr Dolgopolov. It match, gently helping her
AP Sports Writer early rounds. I think it’s just he was still taking medica- was Federer’s 299th match off the court in the third set
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) absurd,” Djokovic said. “It’s tion. win at a major. when she became ill be-
— For the second time in not true. The BBC and BuzzFeed re- He lost in the third round fore finishing off a 7-5, 6-1,
three days, Novak Djokovic “My response is that there’s ports said 16 players had in his first two trips to Mel- 6-4 win over Omar Jasika.
won a match at the Aus- always going to be, es- been repeatedly flagged bourne Park in 2000 and Other seeded players ad-
tralian Open and was con- vancing included No. 6 To-
fronted by questions about Novak Djokovic of Serbia hits a forehand return to Quentin Halys of France during their second mas Berdych, No. 7 Kei Ni-
match-fixing in the sport. round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, shikori and 2014 U.S. Open
The five-time champion Jan. 20, 2016. champion Marin Cilic.
had just beaten 19-year- Serena Williams set a re-
old French wild-card entry (AP Photo/Vincent Thian) cord when she played her
Quentin Halys 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 79th main draw match at
(3) in the second round on pecially these days when to tennis authorities for sus- ‘01 and again last year — the Australian Open, and
Wednesday night — his 34th there is a lot of speculation picious performances, in- in between he won the title beat No. 90-ranked Hsieh
win in his last 35 matches at — this is now the main story cluding a Grand Slam win- four times and lost one final Su-wei 6-1, 6-2.
Melbourne Park — when his in tennis, in sports world — ner, and half of them were during a run of reaching “It all started here. This is
news conference veered there’s going to be a lot of at this year’s Australian the semifinals or better in 11 where I played my first
to questions about the issue allegations,” Djokovic said. Open. straight years. Grand Slam right on this
that has overshadowed “I said everything I needed Djokovic has said he didn’t “It’s the least I expect to be court and I’m still going, it’s
the start of the season’s first to say two days ago. Until believe any elite players in the third round of a Slam, such an honor,” said Wil-
major. somebody comes out with were involved. Roger Fe- obviously, so I’m pumped liams, a six-time champion
After his first-round win, on the real proof and evi- derer agreed, and said up, playing well, feeling who has a 70-9 record at
the day when the BBC and dence, it’s only a specula- people making the ac- good,” Federer said. “But Melbourne Park. “I love it
BuzzFeed News published tion for me.” cusations should name there’s always a danger, every time I come here.”
reports alleging match-fix- Djokovic lost to Santoro 6-3, names. On Wednesday, you know. Like last year the In the biggest upset of the
ing had gone unchecked 6-2 in the second round Federer extended his streak third round was the end for day, two-time Wimbledon
in tennis, the No. 1-ranked of the Paris Masters indoor of reaching the third round me, so I hope to go further champion and sixth-seed-
Djokovic recalled when tournament in October at the Australian Open to this time.” ed Petra Kvitova was beat-
a member of his support 2007. Djokovic, who had 17 consecutive years. The Federer will next play Grigor en 6-4, 6-4 by Russian-born
team was approached two wisdom teeth removed four-time Australian Open Dimitrov, who beat Marco Australian Daria Gavrilova.
with an offer to throw a after the Madrid Masters champion, playing his 65th Trungelliti 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5. Williams’ next opponent
match in Russia in 2007. That earlier that month, said af- consecutive major, ad- Jo-Wilfried Tsonga went to will be 18-year-old Russian
approach didn’t reach him ter the loss to Santoro that vanced 6-3, 7-5, 6-1 over the aid of a ball girl in his Daria Kasatkina, who beat
directly, he said, and was Croatia’s Ana Konjuh 6-4,
rejected immediately. 6-3, and she faces a po-
After his second-round win, tential quarterfinal match
he was asked about an Ital- against 2015 finalist Maria
ian newspaper report cast- Sharapova, who reached
ing doubt over his perfor- the third round with a 6-2,
mance in a match against 6-1 win over Aliaksandra
Fabrice Santoro in Paris Sasnovich.
in 2007. Djokovic said the No. 13 Roberta Vinci beat
speculation was getting Irina Falconi 6-2, 6-3 to ad-
out of control. vance, and is a potential
“What (is there) to say? fourth-round rival for No.
I’ve lost that match. I don’t 4 Agnieszka Radwanska,
know if you’re trying to who beat Eugenie Boucha-
create a story about that rd 6-4, 6-2 in a match fea-
match or for that matter turing two former Wimble-
any of the matches of the don finalists.q
