Scrap tennis drug tests, says Ulihrach

Bohdan Ulihrach, who is the key to Greg Rusedski's bid to avoid a two-year ban for failing a drugs test for nandrolone-today called for the entire testing system to be scrapped.

Ulihrach, who was banned for two years and then cleared last year, has offered his help to Rusedski, the British No2, when he appears before a tribunal in Montreal on 9 February.

The Czech could even be called as a witness by conference call as he is playing in Milan when the hearing takes place.

After losing to World No1 Andy Roddick at the Australian Open in Melbourne today, Ulihrach made it clear that the circumstances that led to his positive test make it impossible for the current screening programme to be trusted.

His levels of nandorolone, blamed on supplements handed out by official ATP trainers at tournaments, are understood to be identical to Rusedski's A and B samples. Six other players also tested positive, but were cleared without any action being taken.

Ulihrach said: "Maybe we can cancel the doping tests because innocent people can be punished. I have talked to other players about this and they agree with my views. Or else, we could take nandrolone off the list of banned substances because this is not only a problem for tennis, it affects other sports."

Ulihrach has been amazed that Rusedski found the mental strength to not only continue competing after confirming his test had been positive, but that he could even win matches.

The Czech stopped playing when his sample came up positive and did not return to the court for nine months while he waited for the ban to be overturned. Even now, he still feels the stigma of having been dragged into the drugs row and has come to an out of court settlement with the ATP over the issue.

His tribunal was held in Jacksonville in May last year and included a 10-minute session of questions from the ATP - acting as prosecutor - and the threeman panel who sat in judgement. This is what Rusedski will face next month.

He said: "When I came back I was scared what players would say and some people will never believe me, but what can I do about that? If you had told me last May after waiting 10 days to hear the tribunal verdict that in January I would be playing centre court at the Australian Open I would have thought you were from Mars!

"I was happy the way it ended and I have met Greg here in Melbourne and given him my numbers. I told him I would do anything I could to help. But I cannot go to Montreal because of my playing commitments. Maybe, I can talk to them on the telephone.

"Because of the current system of testing this could happen again to another player and it is hurting tennis."

Ulirhach admitted he was only drinking water at the Australian Open and is avoiding anything else.

"Everybody is being very careful," he said. "Maybe you are not able to play at your best just drinking water on court, but otherwise it is very dangerous." Andre Agassi, who today beat Czech teenager Tomas Berdych in straight sets, also admitted how careful he has been since Rusedski's positive drug test.

Agassi said: "A couple of days ago I had a sun irritation on the back of my right hand. I needed to put some lotion on it and, to do that, I had to fill out three pages of forms and get them faxed over to the ATP officials to confirm I could use it on my hand.

"That's the tough part about this and the reality of a tennis player's life. Over the last couple of weeks we have a real concern that leaves us only drinking water or certain bottled products, yet we have the integrity of our sport being questioned."

Agassi, attempting to win a fifth Australian Open title, accepts that the negative headlines have forced the sport to go to extreme lengths to convince a doubting public that it is trying to stay "clean".

He said: "It is a concern for everybody. I don't know what the answer is. We are working together for the sport to be a great product and along the line there needs to be, at least, some options for us to look after our own basic needs. I am talking about electrolytes and vitamins and this is a natural part of everybody's life.

"But there is always the concern about cross-contamination and that scares everybody.

"It's up to our generation to leave the game better off and it's a burden we have to bear."

Agassi's next opponent will be 1999 Australian Open runner-up Thomas Enqvist, who beat Slovakia's Karol Beck in four sets.

In the women's section, Belgium's No1 seed Justine Henin-Hardenne accounted for Camille Pin, of France, 6-1, 6-4, while Pin's compatriot Amelie Mauresmo, the fourth seed, won 6-0, 6-2 against Slovakia's Ludmila Cervanova.

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