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ITF lifts Wickmayer, Malisse bans

Wed 16th, December 2009

London, England (Sports Network) - Belgian tennis players Yanina Wickmayer and Xavier Malisse had their one-year bans for violating anti-doping rules lifted by the International Tennis Federation on Wednesday.

On Monday, the 2009 U.S. Open semifinalist Wickmayer and Malisse had the bans levied on them by the ITF suspended by a Belgian court.

"The ITF has removed both Mr. Malisse and Ms. Wickmayer from the list of suspended players, and both are eligible to participate with immediate effect," the ITF said in a statement.

The world No. 16 Wickmayer now hopes to receive a wild card into next month's Australian Open, where entries have already been closed.

The 20-year-old Wickmayer and 29-year-old 2002 Wimbledon semifinalist Malisse were banned from their respective professional tennis tours for one year last month by the ITF when the players were deemed to have broken World Anti- Doping Agency rules by failing to report their whereabouts for drug testing on three occasions.

The ITF based the bans on a local anti-doping tribunal's decision.

A "whereabouts" rule requires players to make themselves available for out- of-competition testing for one hour a day, any day of the year, and players must give three months' notice of where they can be located for testing.

Wickmayer claims she was not properly informed of the online reporting requirements for testing, where player information is registered and can be updated via e-mail or text message.

Several players have spoken out against the system since it was introduced at the beginning of the year, prompting WADA director general David Howman to say that the rules will be reviewed at the end of this year, or within the next few weeks.