Andy Murray is "disappointed" over hints from his Wimbledon second-round opponent Ernests Gulbis that he bent the rules to his advantage in one of their previous matches.
Andy Murray is "disappointed" over hints from his Wimbledon second-round opponent Ernests Gulbis that he bent the rules to his advantage in one of their previous matches.
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Latvian Gulbis, up against the British No 1 on Centre Court today, recalls a meeting at Queen's Club last year when he believes Murray took a medical 'time-out' for no other reason than to slow up the match.
Murray acknowledges some players do occasionally use such dubious tactics but insists he is one of the good guys who do not.
"I did have to withdraw from the next round the following day, so that's very disappointing to hear," said the Scot.
"I never once used any of the rules that certain players have used to try to gain an upper hand in a match or to slow my opponent down or anything.
"When I played him at Queen's that was not the case. I didn't realise there was a problem. I woke up and I couldn't grip the racket the following day."
Gulbis yesterday made it clear he saw things differently.
"In the third set, he took a medical time-out when it was five-all," he remembered.
"Actually he had nothing (wrong with him). He just broke my rhythm, and I wasn't an experienced enough player to deal with that at the time."
Murray refutes Gulbis' version of events.
"There are so many things in matches where guys take toilet breaks, injury time-outs, delay you sometimes when you are trying to serve, and take a little longer in between the points than they are meant to. It happens all the time," he concedes.
"I have never done it - it's not part of the sport. It's a form of cheating - it's bending the rules to gain an advantage.
"It does go on. Certain players do it, and certain players don't. I'm one of the guys who doesn't do it."
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