Nikolay Davydenko avoided a potential nasty argument with his wife Irina after she snuck into his Australian Open post-match media conference on Saturday.
The sixth-seed had earlier dispatched Juan Monaco 6-0 6-3 6-4 on Margaret Court Arena to advance to the fourth round when he was asked by a journalist if he would (hypothetically) like to marry another tennis player. "If I married another tennis player?" a bemused Davydenko responded. "Man or woman?," he added to laughter.
The 28-year-old then, with his eyes darting around the room and a broad grin spreading across his face, replied: "I have a wife already. I have my beautiful wife. I don''t want to have any...."
He was then cut off by Irina.
"I hear you," she said, as her husband buried his head in his hands and the packed room burst into laughter.
"She's here," he added before the journalist apologised for getting him into trouble.
Davydenko, who has finished the year in the top-10 since 2005, has been often overlooked in men's tennis, but is now rapidly gaining more attention after becoming the form player of the last six months.
He won the year-ending Tour Finals in London and received some recognition from his countrymen. Even from Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin, though Davydenko was yet to receive the congratulatory letter.
Putin letter
"He didn't know my mobile number, (so) he just congratulate me winning in London (with a letter)," Davydenko said.
"He wanted to send (it) to me in London, but he don''t know which hotel I was staying (in).
"That's why he send to Russian Federation. I hope I pick up now this letter if I go to Moscow."
He continued his rich run of form when he beat world number one Roger Federer and number two Rafa Nadal to win the Qatar Open in Doha shortly before the Australian Open.
The Russian has also not dropped a set at Melbourne Park this year, has now won 12 matches in a row and his considered one of the favourites for the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, which would be his first grand slam victory.
Not that he expects his compatriots to celebrate, if he does manage to win the title.
"I don't think so. It's not like football.
"In soccer, yes, everybody go in the street drinking. But I don''t think so if I win grand slam everybody start to drink, all Russia.
"It (will) be Monday next day and everybody need work."
