Melbourne: Tennis World No.1 Novak Djokovic has dismissed media allegations that he deliberately threw a match as a 19-year-old in 2007.
Following yet another straight sets win at the Australian Open on Wednesday night, Djokovic was bombarded with questions about the match he lost when he was World No.4 to the now retired Fabrice Santoro at the Paris Masters nine years ago.
Djokovic beat French promising talent Quentin Halys 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) to enter the third round in Australia Open.
Djokovic admitted at the time that he was struggling to perform at his best during the match in question because of dental surgery he had prior to the Paris Masters to remove two wisdom teeth.
The Serbian denied that he intentionally threw the match, after the allegation was made in Italian newspaper Tuttosport.
“It’s not true. What it is to say? I’ve lost that match. I don’t know if you’re trying to create a story about that match or for that matter any of the matches of the top players losing in the early rounds, I think it’s just absurd. Anybody can create a story about any match. That’s my point,” Djokovic was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald. (IANS)
