Nalbandian to appeal $8,000 fine for ‘water throwing’

Argentine David Nalbandian has said he will appeal against an $8,000 fine after denying on his Twitter account that he threw water at an Australian Open staff member.

The 30-year-old was fined for unsportsmanlike behaviour following Wednesday’s heated second round match against American John Isner, in which Nalbandian argued with umpire Kader Nouni after the Frenchman overturned a point in the fifth set. “To go ahead with this fine they are carrying out two injustices. One on and the other off the court. I’m going to appeal the fine,” he wrote on his Twitter feed. “I strongly deny throwing water at an ATP assistant after the match against Isner.

“While he found me washing my hands during the anti-doping test, unbelievably the doctor in charge accused me of throwing water at him.”

Nalbandian lost the marathon encounter and vented his fury on Nouni, who having overturned the point then refused to allow Nalbandian to challenge the call through Hawk-eye technology because he had taken too long to do so. “It’s ridiculous playing this kind of tournament with this kind of umpire. What did the ATP do this for?” Nalbandian said after the match. “Can you be that stupid to do that in that moment?

There was no happy ending for Nalbandian’s conqueror Isner either as he bowed out at the third-round stage 6-3, 6-7, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 at the hands of Spain’s Feliciano Lopez. His exit left the United States without a single man standing in the last 16 of the Australian Open for the first time since 1973. “It’s very disappointing,” said Isner. “That’s not a good effort from the Americans this tournament.”

Eleven American men played in the first round earlier this week with six, including seeds Isner, Mardy Fish and Andy Roddick, making it through to the second round. Fish, the eighth seed, was upset 7-6, 6-3, 7-6 by Colombian Alejandro Falla on Wednesday while former US Open champion Roddick, seeded 15th, retired with a hamstring injury while losing his second-round tie to Lleyton Hewitt on Thursday.

Donald Young, Sam Querrey and Ryan Sweeting also lost, leaving just 16th seed Isner representing the most successful nation in the history of the game.

There were no American men in the fourth round in 1972 and 1973 because none entered the tournament. Otherwise there has always been at least one since tennis went professional in 1968.