Marcos Baghdatis says there was a dereliction of duty on the part of US Open officials during a controversial break in the second-round clash between Andy Murray and Fernando Verdasco.
Verdasco ended Murray's grand-slam comeback on Wednesday, winning 7-5 2-6 6-4 6-4 in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Murray accused Verdasco of breaking the rules by speaking to his coach in the locker room during the 10-minute heat break after the third set.
The Spaniard denied Murray's claim but Baghdatis, who was in the room at the time of the alleged exchange, says there are elements of truth to both players' version of events.
"I was in the ice bath next to Fernando," Baghdatis is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. "I think him and Andy are both right in a way, Verdasco was not controlled by anybody, so his coach came.
"They didn't talk about the match, I didn't hear that, just gave him some shoes and helped him change, really he didn't talk about the match.
"But Andy is right: what are the officials doing, not controlling the situation? The officials were not doing their jobs. If you put in a rule you have to follow it. It's all over the place.
"[The official in charge] was not even there. Verdasco was shouting, screaming 'Man, how long do I have?' and I had to go and ask the guy how long he has, so it was a mess. It's not Verdasco's fault if his coach is allowed there, it's the officials' fault.
"He didn't do anything bad but Andy is right. US Open should do its job right, if everyone did their job right, no problem."
