Tennis: Drug storm clouds event

Top tennis officials lashed out at a Belgian Government minister who said that US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova had failed a doping test, saying the Russian would be allowed to play on in the Australia Open.

Kuznetsova protested her innocence yesterday, saying she had taken cold medicine which she believed was allowed under women's tennis doping rules.

"I pride myself on being a clean athlete of the highest integrity and am offended by these disgraceful accusations," Kuznetsova said in a statement. "I am sure of my innocence and I will not allow these irresponsible accusations, which do not comply with credible anti-doping procedures, to distract me or my performance at the Australian Open," she said.

WTA Tour chief Larry Scott angrily hit back at Belgian regional sports minister Claude Eerdekens, who said that world No 5 Kuznetsova had tested positive for ephedrine, a stimulant found in over-the-counter cough medicines.

"I think what he's done is disgraceful. I know our players would like to see an immediate apology for the damage that it's done to our sport already," Scott said.

"It's just shameful what an irresponsible person like this can do to the reputation of a clean sport and three great players," he told a news conference.

The doping storm broke at the weekend when Eerdekens said that a player had tested positive during a four-player charity exhibition in Charleroi last month.

He said Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne was not the player, throwing the spotlight onto the other three: Kuznetsova and fellow Russian Elena Dementieva and Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy.

Later Eerdekens said Kuznetsova had tested positive for ephedrine, the taking of which is banned "in competition", or during official WTA tournaments.

Exhibition tournaments such as the Charleroi event were regarded as out of competition and players could also apply for an exemption to the rules if they were taking cold medicines which may contain ephedrine, Scott said.

"I want to make clear that under the tennis anti-doping programme, ephedrine is not a banned substance when it's out of competition."

Kuznetsova brushed aside US qualifier Jessica Kirkland 6-1 6-1 on Monday.

New Zealand Sports Drug Agency chief executive Graeme Steel said yesterday that no testing was done at this month's ASB Classic or Heineken Open tournaments in Auckland but confirmed there had been some testing in the sport.

"The ATP and WTA have their own [testing] programme but I'm sure if they wanted testing done here we would be involved," Steele said.

"Any testing we have done with tennis players has been at Davis Cup matches, ITF tournaments, out of competition or at local events."

Steele said there had been 10 tests with tennis players since the start of the present testing year on July 1.

High-profile positives

Briton Greg Rusedski escaped punishment after testing positive last year for nandrolone. He argued successfully that supplements were contaminated.

Argentines Juan Ignacio Chela and Guillermo Coria, both in New Zealand for last week's men's Open, banned for steroid use in 2001.

- REUTERS, AAP and Terry Maddaford