Unsportsmanlike conduct cited

MELBOURNE, Australia -- David Nalbandian was fined $8,000 on Friday for throwing water at a staff member at the Australian Open.

The 30-year-old Argentine was penalized for unsportsmanlike behavior for the incident, which followed his five-set, second-round loss to American John Isner on Wednesday.

During the match, Nalbandian had been upset when umpire Kader Nouni declined his request to challenge a line call because he had taken too long to make it.

Isner was facing break point at 8-8 in the fifth set when he hit a serve down the middle that was called out. Nouni overruled the call, saying it was an ace.

Nalbandian claimed he didn't realize the call had been overruled until he had walked to the umpire's chair. By the time he tried to challenge, Nouni said it was too late and gave the point to Isner.

The 2002 Wimbledon finalist later said it was "ridiculous playing this kind of tournament with this kind of umpires."

Nalbandian's fine, confirmed by the International Tennis Federation on Friday, is the highest at the 2012 Australian Open. Julien Benneteau's $2,500 penalty for verbal abuse is the next highest.

Marcos Baghdatis was fined $1,250 for smashing four rackets on Wednesday. Down two sets and a break, Baghdatis sat in his chair at the changeover and whacked his racket on the court seven times until it was almost unrecognizable.

Baghdatis calmly gave the mangled racket to a ballboy, he plucked a new one out of his bag and cracked that as well. The next two, he didn't even bother taking out of the plastic wrapping before smashing them into the court.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press