Financial whizz-kid Oliver Freelove is counting the cost of some contentious umpiring.

The rookie Brit almost got his sums right in the first round of the Samsung Open yesterday.

He took the first set against tetchy Italian Diego Nargiso before losing in disputed fashion 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.

They were deadlocked at 4-4 in the decider when umpire Fergus Murphy called a net cord.

Freelove double faulted to drop his serve and was then on the wrong end of two overrules as the racquet-slamming Nargiso, ranked almost 500 places higher, served out for the match.

"I thought a couple of calls went against me, but that can happen in any match," said a diplomatic Freelove.

"I didn't hear the net cord, but that it is not my job.

"Then there were two overrules in the last game when there hadn't been any before. To get that when the guy is serving for the match was a little disappointing.'

It has still been an encouraging week for Freelove, who gained a finance degree at the University of Illinois.

The 23-year-old from Kent fought through qualifying for his best pay day since the Wimbledon doubles.

"I qualified for my first ATP Tour event and that is something I can build on for the future," he added.

Ivan Ljubicic caused an upset and did British hope Lee Childs a favour in the process.

Ljubcic knocked out the French third seed Fabrice Santoro 7-6, 6-2.

Childs now meets the 21-year-old Croatian, a former Wimbledon junior finalist, rather than the world No. 37.

Two matches had already finished on the adjoining court by the time Renzo Furlan finally got the better of Belgian Christophe Rochus.

The Italian qualifier won an epic battle 5-7, 6-3, 7-6. Greg Rusedski plays him next, providing the British No. 2 goes through against American Paul Goldstein.

Wimbledon quarter-finalist Alexander Popp, the big-hitting German with a British mother, knocked out colourful American Jeff Tarango 7-6, 6-4.

Childs and James Nelson lost in the doubles to South African pair Paul Rosner and Jason Weir Smith 6-2, 7-6.

See the Argus every day this week for the best in reports and pictures from the Brighton Centre.