TENNIS: Elena Kuznetsova, the US Open champion, seems certain to escape any sanction if the results of a drugs test are confirmed.
The 19-year-old Russian allegedly tested positive for the stimulant ephedrine after an exhibition tournament in Charleroi, Belgium, last month. Normally ephedrine is a banned substance but it is not deemed so under the Women's Tennis Association's anti-doping programme when used out of competition. The Charleroi event falls into this category.
Claude Eerdekens, a regional Belgian sports minister, who made the allegation against Kuznetsova, refused to apologise after coming under fire from the player and the WTA. "I will never offer an apology," he said yesterday. "This product is banned and it is up to her to explain why it is there."
Kuznetsova said in a statement she was "offended" by "appalling allegations" that she had tested positive for ephedrine.
However, she admitted to taking a cold remedy which could have caused the positive test at Charleroi on December 19th, an event which also featured fellow Russian Elena Dementieva, Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne and France's Nathalie Dechy.
Larry Scott, chief executive of the WTA, earlier attacked Eerdekens for releasing the information. "In all my years in sports I have never seen a more disgraceful and irresponsible act by a sports official," he said.
Meanwhile, the International Tennis Federation said it will report everything to the World Anti-Doping Agency.
An ITF statement said the body "did not support any disclosure regarding the identity of any player involved in an adverse anti-doping finding, unless proper procedures have been followed".
The ITF added that it believed that "the action of the Belgian authorities is contrary to the principles of confidentiality of the tennis anti-doping programme, pending due process" and that a player was "free to play until any doping offence is confirmed".
The test is said to have been conducted by an agency outside the auspices of tennis. Kutznetsova will play her second-round match today.
On court yesterday, Lindsay Davenport, who has shaken off a bout of bronchitis, lost just one game in a one-sided match against Conchita Martinez, the world number one winning 6-1 6-0 in 48 minutes.
Venus Williams was made to work harder to see off the challenge of Greece's Eleni Daniilidou, the eighth seed eventually winning 6-1 7-5.
French Open champion Anastasia Myskina was also a comfortable winner, the third-seeded Russian beating Kveta Peschke of the Czech Republic 6-1 6-4.
Dechy, Kuznetsova and Dementieva found their pictures splashed across the local media this morning - but 19th-seeded Dechy maintained her focus long enough to beat Switzerland's Emmanuelle Gagliardi 6-4, 6-3.
Dementieva eased through against Alyona Bondarenko, but was furious at being involved in the drug test controversy.
The sixth seed, runner-up to her compatriot in last year's US Open final, said: "You have no idea what I've been through. It's been too hard on me. I was innocently involved in all this story that I have nothing to do with."
