Murray slapped down and dumped out

No sooner had French Open champion Nadal refuted Murray's claims about match-fixing in the sport than the Scot was going down to an ill- tempered 6-4, 7-5 defeat against Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic in the second round of the Russian event.

Scroll down to read more:

Yesterday morning, Nadal gave a disdainful response to the suggestion by Murray that there was a degree of match-fixing going on in tennis.

"I think he has gone overboard, I don't think anything like that happens," said the Spaniard.

"I'm the No 2 in the world, I've been in all the meetings, I see what goes on on the circuit just like him and I'm not so stupid as to not know what is going on.

"I doubt very much that he (Murray) knows more than anyone else. I think that everyone gives it 100 per cent and that there are no fixed games."

Nadal's point of view is almost certainly naive and informed by his position near the very top of the pile, playing high-profile matches in which even conspiracy theorists doubt that much manipulation is going on.

The main focus of attention — and what Murray will have had more in mind — concerns less visible players in more obscure matches and tournaments, which are definitely more prone to being tampered with.

That said, Nadal's opinion and his slapping down of Murray are reflective of the body within the sport who feel there is now a danger of the problem being exaggerated.

The ATP investigation into the match between Nikolay Davydenko and Martin Vassallo Arguello at the Polish Open in August is trying to determine whether the outcome was pre-ordained and, if so, for what precise reason.

What is certainly an issue and probably more prevalent than players actually being "nobbled" is the use of inside information gleaned from the locker room or physio's area which can be given out to third parties to gain an advantage when betting.

Murray is being required to explain his comments to representatives from the ATP Tour and now has the time to do it prior to next week's Masters series event in Madrid.

Last night, Murray issued a statement which read: "The comments that I made with regard to betting in tennis have been taken out of context.

"When I said 'everyone knows that it's going on' I meant that everyone has probably heard that three or four players have spoken out about being offered money to lose matches — which they refused."

Having hotfooted it to Moscow after reaching Sunday's final in Metz, the 20 year-old was sluggish in losing to the world No 68, whom he had beaten at last week's tournament.

After a poor first set he improved in the second and got ahead by a break as he repeatedly troubled his opponent's serve.

Yet he could convert only one of the 10 break points he created and let his opponent reel off the last five games, his first serve percentage ending on a paltry 52.

By the end, at odds with the umpire and taking it out on his racket, Murray cut a forlorn figure with his hopes of a surge towards making the eight-man, season-ending Masters Cup next month having taken a severe blow.