Cornet misses three dope tests

FRENCH player Alize Cornet is under investigation by the International Tennis Federation after missing three doping tests in the past year. Under the whereabouts rules, players must make themselves available for out-ofcompetition testing for one hour on random testing days and the 28-year-old could potentially face a lengthy ban.

The French Tennis Federation announced the news in a statement, saying: “The French Tennis Federation, after being informed by the International Tennis Federation on January 11, took note of the opening, against Alize Cornet, of a disciplinary procedure for breach of the rules governing the fight against doping, in this case three non-presentations during unannounced checks in the last 12 months.”

Cornet, who is ranked 42, has been removed from the French Fed Cup team for the first-round tie against Belgium next month to allow her to “prepare her defence”. But in a defiant message on Twitter she accused the ITF of not listening to her “valuable” reasons and said she would continue to play tournaments.

“Last October I got a 3rd ‘no show’ from the Anti Doping Agency and the ITF, which means that among the 20 anti doping controls that I had in the 2017 season, which were all negative of course, I missed 3 unannounced controls at home because of valuable reasons that the ITF didn’t want to hear,” she said.