Shapovalov shoots up the rankings with win over Berdych

Cornet escapes ban for three doping test no shows

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

The 19-year-old Shapovalov is coming off a semifinal appearance in last week’s Madrid Open, where he beat fellow Canadian Milos Raonic in the Round of 16.

Already up to a career-high ranking of 29th this week, the victory over Berdych will move Shapovalov ahead of No. 22 Raonic when next

In the women’s tournament, 11thseeded Angelique Kerber defeated Kazakh qualifier Zarina Diyas 6-2, 7-6 (6), and 14th-seeded Daria Kasatkina beat Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic 6-0, 6-4.

PARIS:

Cornet

Also:

French tennis player has escaped a possible ban for missing three doping tests, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) confirmed on Tuesday.

One of Cornet’s lawyers,

had earlier told AFP that an independent tribunal “found that on the third occasion, the tester had not made every reasonable effort to find her”.

The information was confirmed by an ITF press release.

The ITF has 21 days to appeal. After that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and French AntiDoping Agency have another 21 days to appeal if they so wish.

Gramblat said Cornet, 28, was “delighted” and will be able to play in the Strasbourg tournament next week and, above all, at the French Open, which starts on May 27.

He explained that when the tester rang the bell at Cornet’s block of flats in Cannes on Oct 24, “Alize could hear nothing because her intercom was broken”.

Gramblat said the tester waited and when other residents emerged she could have found out which was Cornet’s door, gone in and knocked on it and that not doing so represented a failure to “make every reasonable effort to contact the player”.

Russia’s Maria Sharapova returns the ball to Australia’s Ashleigh Barty during the Rome WTA Tennis Open tournament at the Foro Italico on May

15, in Rome.(AFP)