Tennis/Australian Open: US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova was last night at the centre of reports suggesting she had tested positive for a banned substance.
Belgian Sports Minister Claude Eerdekens has been quoted claiming the Russian tested positive for ephedrine following an exhibition event in Charleroi on December 19th.
The reports come less than 24 hours after the start of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the season.
Kuznetsova, the fifth seed in Melbourne, began her tournament with a 6-1, 6-1 win over American Jessica Kirkland yesterday.
Eerdekens first made his claims yesterday, when he said a player from Charleroi had tested positive without specifically naming Kuznetsova.
At that point Kuznetsova said the claims do not refer to her.
"I am pretty sure that I am fine with everything," she said after her win over Kirkland. "I was tested 11 times last year, I think I was the player most tested.
"I am not worried that much about it because the truth comes out anyway. I am pretty sure myself I am not using any anabolics or whatever it is called.
"I am definitely not using anything to push myself up. I am pretty sure about this, I am pretty calm."
The reports have not been confirmed by the International Tennis Federation.
There is no suggestion that Kuznetsova may have deliberately cheated.
Ephedrine - which makes the heart beat faster and increases blood pressure, allowing athletes to avoid fatigue - is a substance that can be found in many over-the-counter cold remedies and supplements.
The World Anti-Doping Agency include it on their prohibited list but classify it as one of their "specified substances" which "are particularly susceptible to unintentional anti-doping rule violations".
As it can be taken unintentionally quite easily, WADA recommend a warning and reprimand but not necessarily a ban for a first offence.
Elsewhere on the opening day it was relative plain sailing for the leading players.
France's Amelie Mauresmo, the number two seed, was thought to be the most vulnerable against the 20-year-old Australian Samantha Stosur, who had reached consecutive WTA finals this year on the Gold Coast and in Sydney.
After steadfastly ignoring the merits of women's tennis for its night matches, the Australian Open has this year followed the pattern of the US Open with a top women's match preceding the last men's match of the day under floodlights in the Rod Laver Arena.
Mauresmo, who reached her only slam final here in 1999, losing to Martina Hingis, had been tipped to win last year, only to pull out before the quarter-finals with a bad back.
Yesterday her left thigh was heavily strapped, although she did not appear at all hindered.
Stosur, herself suffering from a strained abdomen, broke for a 3-1 lead in the second set but was ultimately unable to cope with the French player's heavy top spin and more accurate hitting, Mauresmo winning 6-2, 6-3.
Maria Sharapova, the Wimbledon champion, also enjoyed an easy passage to the second round, beating Sesil Karatantcheva of Bulgaria 6-3, 6-1.
Serina Williams defeated France's Camille Pin 6-1, 6-1 in just 56 minutes.
