LONDON, June 24: Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello, embroiled in a tennis betting probe, let his tennis do the talking on Tuesday with a Wimbledon victory that left him shaking with emotion.

He fell to his knees, sobbing with relief after his 6-4 2-6 2-6 6-2 6-2 first round victory over Czech Ivo Minar.

But Vassallo Arguello, drained after his epic struggle, felt he could not celebrate fully until his name was cleared by tennis authorities who are investigating 45 matches over the last five years for possible betting irregularities.

The most high-profile case to arouse suspicion was a match between world number four Nikolay Davydenko of Russia and Vassallo Arguello in Poland, where irregular betting patterns were noted.

There was heavy gambling on the match in August last year on Betfair, a British online betting company, for Davydenko to lose. He won the first set but retired with an injury in the third set.

Betfair voided all bets on the match and reported it to the ATP, which asked the two players for mobile phone records. This and the other cases are still being investigated.

Both men have denied any involvement in betting.

Vassallo Arguello, signing autographs and posing for photos after Tuesday's match, is determined to clear his name.

Asked if he could now finally put the Davydenko match behind him, he told Reuters: “No. I still have to think because the ATP didn't say anything about this. So I am still waiting for that, to celebrate that victory also.”

“Let me enjoy this,” he said, staggering off court to reflect on a victory he never expected to gain.

“I am very happy. I really didn't expect to win. I was hoping to do my best but I never thought I could win this match,” he said. “For me it is a big surprise to win here.”

No players have been found guilty of match-fixing but a number of Italian men have served bans after they were caught breaking tour rules by betting on matches.

There was no suggestion that they had been trying to influence the outcome of matches.

One of the four Italians, Potito Starace, was scuttled out of Wimbledon in the first round 6-2 7-5 6-1 on Tuesday by Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean.

“It is only the second day I have played on grass. He played very good and I have some problem on grass,” he said.

But Starace would not be drawn on the ban he served, telling Reuters “I don't want to talk about this as it is one year ago.”

Results:

Men’s singles first round results on Tuesday (prefix number denotes seeding):

Benjamin Becker (Germany) bt 4-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) 6-4 6-4 6-4; Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) bt John Isner (United States) 7-5 7-5 6-7(3) 7-6(6); 16-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) bt Jan Hernych (Czech Republic) 6-3 7-5 6-0; 14-Paul-Henri Mathieu (France) bt Oscar Hernandez (Spain) 3-6 6-2 6-0 6-2; 8-Richard Gasquet (France) bt Mardy Fish (United States) 6-3 6-4 6-2; 23-Tommy Robredo (Spain) bt Kristof Vliegen (Belgium) 6-1 6-3 6-7(4) 6-4; Martin Vassallo Arguello (Argentina) bt Ivo Minar (Czech Republic) 6-4

2-6 2-6 6-2 6-2; Tommy Haas (Germany) bt Guillermo Canas (Argentina) 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-4; 27-Nicolas Kiefer (Germany) bt Julien Benneteau (France) 6-1 7-5 6-3; Marin Cilic (Croatia) bt Edouard Roger-Vasselin (France) 6-4 6-3 7-6(4); Sebastien Grosjean (France) bt Potito Starace (Italy) 6-2 7-5 6-1; Viktor Troicki (Serbia) bt Nicolas Lapentti (Ecuador) 6-3 4-0 retired; 24-Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) bt Wayne Odesnik (United States) 6-3 retired.

Women’s singles first round results on Tuesday (prefix number denotes seeding):

3-Maria Sharapova (Russian) bt Stephanie Foretz (France) 6-1 6-4; Sorana Cirstea (Romania) bt Ekaterina Bychkova (Russia) 6-4 6-4; 16-Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) bt Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) 6-1 6-1; Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) bt Petra Cetkovska (Czech Republic) 6-4 6-3; Alla Kudryavtseva (Russia) bt Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) 6-0 6-4; Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) bt Michaella Krajicek (Netherlands) 7-6(3) 7-6(6) Peng Shuai (China) bt Viktoriya Kutuzova (Ukraine) 6-3 6-4; Sybille Bammer (Austria) bt Sofia Arvidsson (Sweden) 4-6 4-1 retired; 32-Sania Mirza (India) bt Catalina Castano (Colombia) 7-6(3) 3-6 6-4; 17-Venus Williams (United States) bt Naomi Cavaday (Britain) 7-6(5) 6-1; Anne Keothavong (Britain) bt Vania King (United States) 4-6 6-2 6-3; Monica Niculescu (Romania) bt Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) 1-6 6-3 6-4; Aleksandra Wozniak (Canada) bt Mariya Koryttseva (Ukraine) 7-5 6-4; 31-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) bt Eva Hrdinova (Czech Republic) 6-2 7-5; Ai Sugiyama (Japan) bt Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) 6-4 6-2; Maria Martinez Sanchez (Spain) bt Martina Muller (Germany) 6-1 6-1; 22-Flavia Pennetta (Italy) bt Julia Vakulenko (Ukraine) 6-3 6-4.—Reuters