Cornet avoids doping ban

Former top-20 tennis player Alize Cornet has been cleared of a doping charge by an independent tribunal.

The International Tennis Federation announced yesterday that the decision was made because a doping control officer “did not satisfy all of the requirements” in trying to locate the 28-year-old French player for what originally was considered a third missed outof-competition drug test in a 12-month span.

Missing three tests in a year is considered a doping offence.

The investigation of Cornet came to light in January. She has won five WTA titles, been ranked as high as No 11, in 2009, and is currently No 32.

Meanwhile, Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov pulled off another big win, overcoming a slow start to beat 15th seed Tomas Berdych 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) in the first round of the Italian Open.

Also on the red clay of the Foro Italico, three-time Rome champion Maria Sharapova defeated 16th seed Ashleigh Barty 7-5, 3-6, 6-2.

Shapovalov, 19, is coming off a semi-final appearance in last week’s Madrid Open, where he beat fellow Canadian Milos Raonic in the round of 16.

On a day in which the start of play was delayed and then interrupted by rain, Diego Schwartzman eliminated Chilean qualifier Nicolas Jarry 6-4, 6-1, and Lucas Pouille held off Italian wild card Andreas Seppi before a partisan crowd, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (3).

In the women’s tournament, Angelique Kerber defeated Kazakh qualifier Zarina Diyas 6-2, 7-6 (6), and Daria Kasatkina beat Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic 6-0, 6-4.