Czech tennis player Jan Hernych says he was approached in Russia last year and asked to lose first-round matches at ATP tournaments in Moscow and St. Petersburg. "Someone called me from the (hotel`s) reception to my room, asking whether I wanted to sell a match, if I wanted to lose," Hernych was quoted in Friday`s editions of the Czech Republic`s biggest daily, Mlada Fronta Dnes. "I rejected. I think that anyone who would accept it is absolutely mad." Hernych is currently ranked 165th in the world. The matches allegedly involved were against Italy`s Filippo Volandri at the Kremlin Cup, which Hernych won 6-1, 6-4, and against Russia`s Evgeny Korolev at the St. Petersburg Open, which the Czech player won 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (7). Hernych said he was not offered a specific sum of money. "They wanted to know whether I was willing to negotiate with them," he said. Talk of match-fixing has swirled around tennis for months. Online gambling company Betfair voided all bets when fourth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko withdrew against 87th-ranked Martin Vassallo Arguello in the third set of a match in Poland in August, citing a foot injury. Unusually large amounts were wagered on the lowly ranked Argentine throughout the match, even after he lost the first set 6-1. The ATP is investigating. Since then, several players have said they have been approached about influencing a match. Belgian player Gilles Elseneer said he was offered - and turned down - more than US$100,000 to lose a first-round match against Potito Starace of Italy at Wimbledon in 2005. Arnaud Clement of France said he turned down money, although didn`t elaborate. On Thursday, the Italian tennis federation said it was looking into a report that 124th-ranked Alessio Di Mauro bet on other players` matches.