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U.S. OPEN

August 27, 2007

Nikolay Davydenko

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Could you talk to us a little bit about how much of a distraction these last few weeks have been, what they've been like for you, how you've been able to concentrate on tennis.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: After Sopot, you mean?

Q. Yes.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I would say it was difficult coming already to Montréal because it's like starting already some investigation, some process. But what I can say? Like if get questions, I say never betting in my life. I don't know how you can betting, and I don't know guys who betting.
Because if you see I losing many tournaments first round, in small tournament, like I know guys top 100 or 80, like I lose of after Wimbledon three weeks in a row first round. Why nobody say, Well, like these matches, yeah?
If I betting, if I be like profit for betting, I can do money for all tournament like what I did in 10 weeks losing first round. Normally is no possible.
That's was, yeah, and this about press and everything, you know, try to write something, okay, because I read in Russian press, not English. I don't understand good. What Russian tell is completely from my side stupid.
It's pretty tough mentally to play. But, okay, I already play good since Cincinnati, Montréal. Quarterfinals, semis, get points for the Shanghai is good.
Now is important tournament here to make points, you know, for the last tournament.

Q. Can you just talk about when you first heard about this, what your immediate reaction was.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Next day I was coming to Germany to prove like I was injury. I need to go straight -- like I tell tournament director in Sopot, because he like if I stay one more day for autograph session.
I say, I'm sorry, I can't because I need to like see what's happen my foot in Germany, because I go to Germany to go to the doctor. I have small inflammation. He just give me injection straight because I have every week tournament. I need to get something, you know, like if my pain go less, you know, in one day or two day. After injection, in three days, you go pain out.
I come already to Montréal and I make also, you know, the MRI x-ray, and find for me like stress factory (sic). I was surprising also. You know, and ATP's doctor, everybody knows I have really problem.
Normally for the doctors, this is like, you know, broken bones, but you don't know how long I get this one and if I can play or not you don't know also. If I have really pain, I stop to play.
But I don't have really pain. Like if I play match, don't feel. Just coming maybe inflammation but not something, you know, be worse. That's was I still to play, because what I need to do. If nobody doctor can tell me some result, what I need to do. I need to stop or I can't play, that's it.
And about next day, any press, everything, I was like surprising what's happening there. Coming to Montréal, I need to, you know, ask ATP. Because first also, you know, everything you know from the press.

Q. What was the reaction of the other players in the locker room with you?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: The same what was before. It's like by the player, you never talking about anything because it's like, you know, if something, you know, from private life, something happen, not talk about this. We just like say, Hi. That's it. Not anything like about it.

Q. Have you had a formal interview yet with the investigators? Where does that stand?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: No, not yet. It's coming after China Open.

Q. You haven't been interviewed or questioned by the ATP, Betfair, or anyone at this point?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: No, no, no, not yet, because I have every week tournament, you know. Also, you know, to get now some questions, it's pretty tough for me. I need to concentration now on tennis because you have every week now tournament.
I have after China Open Davis Cup, then I have two weeks off. I can't have concentration about investigation, just to like answer the questions and everything, but not now. This is for me pretty tough because, like, I play now tournaments.
I can't do now anything, and ATP don't try to push me also. For me, it's very good. I can play tennis now.

Q. The USTA here at the US Open have hired a private security firm to assist in monitoring players and also other people in case there might be some gambling infractions. Do you think this was a necessary step? Is there an issue in your mind with players being confronted by people?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: You know what, here by US Open, I think it looks the same of last year or before. I don't see any different in the moment, like in locker room this year. We have credentials. Everybody get physios, everybody get player guests. I don't see any different between last year and this year.

Q. Does it bother you that they did hire a private firm to make sure there are no problems here at the US Open as far as gambling goes? Does it bother you in some regard because of what has happened with you?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yeah, it's pretty tough for me somebody talking about gambling, and already I am in this position now, you know, because my name now here, you know, like I'm top player, and like fans and everybody see I am like guy, bad guy, who gambling, something do this. For me it's pretty tough.
Like I try to say, I never do in my life like this, you know. But some guys believe, somebody not believe. That's was I don't know. I try to say every week, I don't do anything like this. You know, I never did.
That's was I don't know how long I have more questions about it. How many weeks I get, how many months. Maybe all this year it finish like still December, till finish my Davis Cup, you know, I need to answer these questions.

Q. Did you hear anything from the fans today on the court, comments, heckling?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: First, I don't understand so good English (smiling). Russians just support me very well here. That's was nothing happen before in Montréal or here in American tournament, no.

Q. Why do you feel there was so much betting for you to lose in the match in Poland?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I think because of tournament I losing first round before. Some guys, like first round, French guys, first round, three weeks in a row. Because before Montréal, big tournament.
Normally last year I won this tournament, yeah. Like I don't -- because I need to defend points. I lose in New Haven. I need to defend points. I lose many points, and also here. For me losing points, I losing my ranking.
What is reason for me something to do? If I need to still my position good, if I losing point, I losing my ranking and I go down. Instead of No. 4, I be the No. 6.
Yeah, and, you know, like how I say, I won first round there. I feel already before my first round I was injury, but I don't tell anyone I have problem there. I don't know why guys can betting.
I don't know, I don't check by Internet who betting. I don't know how much money putting there.

Q. It's become quite popular with some reporters in this country to suggest that there's a Russian Mafia somehow with its fingers in tennis. Do you feel personally insulted as a Russian to think people are suggesting somehow the Mafia is involved?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: First, I don't live in Moscow. I don't know really guys from Mafia in Russia, because I live from 15 years old in Germany. I don't know German Mafia (smiling). That's was pretty tough to say about Russian Mafia.
You know, like, maybe if you go now to Brooklyn, you find Russian Mafia here in New York, but I never saw no guys also in New York from Russia.
I been Moscow only for Davis Cup and for Kremlin Cup, nothing else. Like for me, okay, maybe before you have like -- Russia is like all country from Mafia, but why not they speak about Italian guy? He's also from Mafia, no?

Q. Do you know which tournaments you will play after the US Open?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I go to China Open, then I have Davis Cup.

Q. The interview will be with the ATP after the China event or the outside investigator?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: After the China Open?

Q. Will it be an ATP official or an outside investigator? Do you know?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I don't know yet, but I know I have something. I don't know really.

Q. Is it possible that other people knew how badly you were injured before that match?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: You know, I was see many fans, many people in Sopot was Russian to look my match. Sometimes I spoke with my wife, you know, also around my match of Russian. Because I can't, I think in Poland, don't understand anyone, like everywhere.
With my wife, I can like straight in the match I can tell everything, speak for my private life, you know, if I be crazy in the match, you know, if it's happening.
Because coaching, she's not coach, I can speak sometimes. You never know.

Q. How difficult is it to concentrate on your tennis with constant questions about that match, particularly coming into the US Open?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Difficult, really. It's like mentally you're tired. It's not like physically. If you just thinking about, if you go to Internet, you read some press like writing about you something, you know, bad things, you're already nervous.
You're coming to the court, because many guys -- I don't know like tennis players, but in Russia, some Russian players reading, and fans and everybody, and you nervous because, like, you have matches, you know somebody writing for you bad things.
It's tough. It's like every day you like mentally tired tired. That's was for me good if you take rest for few months, nobody hear about me anything.

Q. Have your teammates been supportive of you, other Russian players, or have they not said anything?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: What do you mean?

Q. Are your Davis Cup teammates supportive of you?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Captain from Davis Cup already tell the press support me in Russia. Russian player also answer stupid things like talking about gambling. That's was everything. I don't know anything. Normally we don't speak about anything like this.

End of FastScripts

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