Melbourne - Spain's Nicolas Almagro strongly denied suggestions of a money-grab after he lasted just 23 minutes at the Australian Open before retiring on Monday.
Almagro threw in the towel with a calf injury at 4-0 down in the first set against France's Jeremy Chardy, but walked away with a A$50 000 (R506 000) cheque as a first-round loser.
Australian doubles legend Todd Woodbridge, a TV commentator, ignited a debate when he said: "Questions to be asked. Did (Almagro) just turn up to take money?"
But according to the Melbourne Herald Sun, Almagro later insisted: "I went to court because I think I can play. I was top 10, I have more than $10 million. I'm not going to play for $50 000. It is not the reason."
He added: "I was trying to play during the week. It was tough. I did an MRI (scan) and the result wasn't good. That's it. I couldn't play. I felt the problem again on court and I had to retire.
"I considered (withdrawing) but I was practising, I didn't feel it during the week. I decided to play today."
Collated results from the Australian Open on Monday:
Men
1st round
Jeremy Chardy (FRA) bt Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 4-0 ret
Ryan Harrison (USA) bt Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
Tomas Berdych (CZE x10) bt Luca Vanni (ITA) 6-1 ret
Viktor Troicki (SRB x29) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 2-6, 6-3
Alex De Minaur (AUS) bt Gerald Melzer (AUT) 5-7, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-1
Sam Querrey (USA x31) bt Quentin Halys (FRA) 6-7 (10/12), 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-4
Mischa Zverev (GER) bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4
Kei Nishikori (JPN x5) bt Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 5-7, 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-2
Bernard Tomic (AUS x27) bt Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) 6-2, 6-1, 6-4
Victor Estrella (DOM) bt Aljaz Bedene (GBR) 7-6 (9/7), 7-5, 0-6, 6-3
Andy Murray (GBR x1) bt Illya Marchenko (UKR) 7-5, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2
Andrey Rublev (RUS) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/0), 6-3
John Isner (USA x19) bt Konstantin Kravchuk (RUS) 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1
Malek Jaziri (TUN) bt Go Soeda (JPN) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
Diego Schwartzman (ARG) bt Pablo Cuevas (URU x22) 6-3, 6-3, 6-0
Dusan Lajovic (SRB) bt Stephane Robert (FRA) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3
Marin Cilic (CRO x7) bt Jerzy Janowicz (POL) 4-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3
Alexander Bublik (KAZ) bt Lucas Pouille (FRA x16) 6-0, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Noah Rubin (USA) bt Bjorn Fratangelo (USA) 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
Lukas Lacko (SVK) bt Albert Ramos (ESP x26) 4-6, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3
Dudi Sela (ISR) bt Marcel Granollers (ESP) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-0
Steve Johnson (USA) bt Federico Del Bonis (ARG) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) bt James Duckworth (AUS) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (4/7), 6-4
Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (3/7), 7-5
Nick Kyrgios (AUS x14) bt Gastão Elias (POR) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x12) bt Thiago Monteiro (BRA) 6-1, 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2
Karen Khachanov (RUS) bt Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (11/9), 6-3
Jack Sock (USA x23) bt Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3
Dan Evans (GBR) bt Facundo Bagnis (ARG) 7-6 (10/8), 6-3, 6-1
Roger Federer (SUI x17) bt Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
Stan Wawrinka (SUI x4) bt Martin Kližan (SVK) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4
Steve Darcis (BEL) bt Samuel Groth (AUS) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Women
1st round
Irina Begu (ROM x27) bt Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
Samantha Crawford (USA) bt Lauren Davis (USA) 4-6, 6-3, 6-0
Garbine Muguruza (ESP x7) bt Marina Erakovic (NZL) 7-5, 6-4
Shelby Rogers (USA) bt Simona Halep (ROM x4) 6-3, 6-1
Mona Barthel (GER) bt Destanee Aiava (AUS) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)
Monica Puig (PUR x29) bt Patricia Tig (ROM) 6-0, 6-1
Varvara Lepchenko (USA) bt Kiki Bertens (NED x19) 7-5, 7-6 (7/5)
Duan Yingying (CHN) bt Rebecca Sramkova (SVK) 6-3, 6-4
Julia Goerges (GER) bt Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Jelena Jankovic (SRB) bt Laura Siegemund (GER x26) 6-1, 1-6, 6-4
Alison Riske (USA) bt Madison Brengle (USA) 7-5, 6-3
Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) bt Viktorija Golubic (SUI) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
Sorana Cirstea (ROM) bt Irina Khromacheva (RUS) 6-2, 6-1
Anastasija Sevastova (LAT x32) bt Nao Hibino (JPN) 6-4 ret
Kristina Kucova (SVK) bt Christina McHale (USA) 6-4, 6-0
Venus Williams (USA x13) bt Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) 7-6 (7/5), 7-5
Natalia Vikhlyantseva (RUS) bt Vania King (USA) 6-3, 6-2
Jaimee Fourlis (AUS) bt Anna Tatishvili (USA) 6-4, 6-3
Zhang Shuai (CHN x20) bt Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) 6-0, 6-3
Pauline Parmentier (FRA) bt Misaki Doi (JPN) 7-5, 7-5
Coco Vandeweghe (USA) bt Roberta Vinci (ITA x15) 6-1, 7-6 (7/3)
Ashleigh Barty (AUS) bt Annika Beck (GER) 6-4, 7-5
Stefanie Voegele (SUI) bt Kurumi Nara (JPN) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
Elina Svitolina (UKR x11) bt Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) 6-0, 6-2
Julia Boserup (USA) bt Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 6-2, 6-4
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x24) bt Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) 6-1, 7-6 (7/2)
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x8) bt Mariana Duque (COL) 6-0, 6-1
Angelique Kerber (GER x1) bt Lesya Tsurenko (UKR) 6-2, 5-7, 6-2
Carina Witthoeft (GER) bt Eri Hozumi (JPN) 7-5, 7-6 (8/6)
Peng Shuai (CHN) bt Darya Kasatkina (RUS x23) 6-0, 7-6 (7/5)
Carla Suarez (ESP x10) bt Jana Cepelova (SVK) 6-2, 6-2
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) bt Louisa Chirico (USA) 6-0, 6-4