This is ‘cleared’?

Following an investigation of The Association of Tennis Professionals, Russian star Nikolay Davydenko has officially been cleared of fixing a match last summer in Poland.

But the word cleared should be in quotes. Something odd certainly happened in that match against Vassallo Arguello. Davydenko, then the world’s fourth-ranked player, should have been expected to beat Arguello like a drum, yet went from being a heavy favorite to being a big underdog. More money came in for Arguello, ranked 87th in the world, even after Davydenko had won the first set. Trailing Arguello 2-6, 6-3, 2-1, Davydenko retired, claiming injury.

Somebody stood to make a killing on the result, but an online betting exchange notified the ATP that its security team had recognized irregular betting patterns and voided $7 million in bets.

What about the investigation? Well, it took place without cooperation of Davydenko’s wife and brother, who refused to turn over cell phone records. The records eventually were destroyed by the phone company in Germany, in accordance with local data protection laws.

So Davydenko is “cleared.” Yet, considering the lack of cooperation by his family, I can't help wondering if “safely obscured” might not be more accurate.