Alize Cornet Faces Ban For Anti-Doping Violation - UBITENNIS
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Alize Cornet Faces Ban For Anti-Doping Violation

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Alize Cornet (zimbio.com)

Former top 20 player Alize Cornet is facing disciplinary action from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) after missing a series of anti-doping tests.

 

The French player has missed three doping tests within the past year. Putting her at risk of being potentially suspended by the governing body of the sport. Under the ITF anti-doping programme, a player who missed a test three times within a year has broken the rules.

Cornet’s missed tests have been confirmed by the French Tennis Federation (FFT), who reported that she is currently under investigation. She was notified of the violation on January 11th, less than a week before the Australian Open.

“The French Tennis Federation, after being informed by the International Tennis Federation on January 11, takes note of the opening, against Alize Cornet, of a disciplinary procedure for a breach of the rules governing the anti-doping fight, in this case three non-appearances during random checks in the last twelve months,” said a FFT statement.

As a consequence of the development, the 28-year-old will miss France’s Fed Cup tie against Belgium next month. Instead Cornet will be preparing her defence at a disciplinary hearing. The date of which has not been disclosed to the public.

“In order to preserve the French Fed Cup team during the preparation of their first round (tie) against Belgium, which will take place in Vendée on February 10 and 11, and pending the decision of international disciplinary bodies, Pierre Cherret, Acting National Technical Director, in full agreement with Yannick Noah, the captain of the France team, we decided to let Alizé Cornet prepare her defence and therefore, not to retain her in the selection.” The FFT explained.

In 2015 Russian player Ivan Gakhov was suspended for 12 months after missing a trio of tests within the same time period as Cornet. The current world No.292 argued that he didn’t understand the correct procedure, but it was rejected by the ITF.

Cornet, who has been ranked as high as 11th in the world, has won five WTA titles so far in her career. At the Australian Open, she defeated 12th seed Julia Goerges in the second round before going out to Elise Mertens.

The world No.42 is yet to comment about the ongoing situation.

The definition of a missed test (via the ITF rule book)

“A failure by the Athlete to be available for resting at the location and time specified in the 60-minute time slot identified in his/her whereabouts filing for the day in question, in accordance with Article I.4 of the International Standard for Testing and Investigations.”

UPDATE: Alize Cornet has released a statement on Thursday in which she says that she has ‘valuable reasons’ for missing those tests.

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Jannik Sinner beats Danil Medvedev in the China Open final to clinch the ninth title of his career

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Jannik Sinner beat Danil Medvedev 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-2) after 2 hours and 1 minute earning the first match win of his career against his Russian rival in his seventh attempt. 

 

Sinner has won the ninth title of his career and the third of the 2023 season following his triumphs Montpellier and his first ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Toronto. The Italian player claimed the second ATP 500 title after Washington following his two wins over top 3 players Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinal and Danil Medvedev in the final. 

Sinner has moved to number 4 in the ATP Live Ranking becoming the second Italian player to reach the top 5 after Adriano Panatta, who won the Internazionali d’Italia in Rome and Roland Garros in 1976 reaching a career high of world number 4. Sinner is aiming to qualify for the NITTO ATP Finals in Turin for the first time after playing as alternate in 2021.

Both players served well in the first four games of the opening set. Sinner saved a break point in the fifth game and held serve with a forehand. Medvedev fended off two break points in the eighth game. Sinner earned two mini-breaks to open up a 3-0 lead in the tie-break and hit two winners on serve to race out to 5-0. Medvedev pulled one of the mini-breaks back but Sinner closed out the first set 7-2 on his second set point. 

Medvedev saved three break points (the third with a forehand winner) in the third game of the second set to hold serve at deuce for 2-1. Sinner held serve to 30 at 3-4 and won the 10th game on serve at love to prolong the match. 

Sinner opened up a 3-0 lead with an early mini-break at the start of the second tie-break and forged to 5-2 with a service winner. Sinner earned four match points with a forehand and converted his first chance with a forehand winner to secure his 49th match of the season.  

“Danil, thanks for letting me at least one match. We have had some very tough battles, especially this year. Thanks for making me a much better player. I have been training a lot to beat you. My team are working a lot. Thank you very much and it is special this moment with you”, said Sinner during the award ceremony. 

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Iga Swiatek cruises past Magda Linette to reach the quarter final at the China Open in Beijing

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Iga Swiatek cruised past this year’s Australian Open semifinalist Magda Linette 6-1 6-1 to reach the quarter final at the China Open in Beijing. Swiatek has won her 60th match in 2023. 

 

Swiatek set up a match against Caroline Garcia or Anhelina Kalinina. 

Swiatek did not face any break points and dropped just eight points on her serve and hit 16 winners to Linette’s three. She broke twice in the first set and three times in the second set. 

Swiatek has won her 18th match this year for the loss of three or fewer games. 

Swiatek has improved to 3-1 in her head-to-head matches against her compatriots. She lost her only match via retirement against Joanna Zawadswa in the first round of the Warsaw ITF W25 tournament in 2018. 

Swiatek has reached her 14th quarter final in 2023 and her ninth at WTA 1000 level. The Polish player has become the fourth player since 2009 to reach seven or more WTA 1000 quarter final in the same season after Agnieszka Radwanska, Li Na and Serena Williams. 

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Dusan Lajovic beats Stan Wawrinka to reach the second round in Shanghai

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Dusan Lajovic beat Stan Wawrinka 6-4 7-6 (9-7) on Stadium  Court at the Masters 1000 tournment in Shanghai in their first head-to-head match since Roland Garros 2015. 

 

Lajovic, who won the ATP 250 title in Banja Luka last April completed the set of winning a main-draw match at each of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments. 

Lajovic broke Wawrinka’s serve in the first game of the opening set. The Serbian player earned a double break in the seventh game to open up a 5-2. Wawrinka pulled one break back in the eighth game for 3-5, but Lajovic served out the first set to love. 

Lajovic earned went up a break twice in the third and seventh games of the second set, but Wawrinka broke back both times. Lajovic saved a set point at 6-7 in the tie-break and won the final three points to close out the match in 1 hour and 53 minutes. 

Lajovic hit 16 winners to just 7 unforced errors. The Serbian player moved to 1-2 in his three head-to-head matches against his Swiss opponent. 

Lajovic set up a second round match against Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor. 

Brandon Nakashima beat Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-1 7-6 (7-3) to set up a second round match against Holger Rune. Nakashima won his first Masters 1000 match since last March in Miami. Nakashima broke twice in the second and fourth games and held his final service game at love to seal the first set 6-1. Both players went on serve with no break points en route to the tie-break. Zapata Miralles earned an early mini-break at the start of the tie-break to take a 2-0 lead. Nakashima won seven of the next eight points including three mini-breaks to win the tie-break 7-3. 

Thanasi Kokkinakis beat Fabio Fognini 6-2 6-4 in 1 hour and 20 minutes. Kokkinakis earned an early break in the first game of the opening set. Fognini did not convert two break-back points in the second game. Fognini saved a break point in the fifth game, but Kokkinakis broke for the second time in the seventh game and held his serve in the next game to seal the first set 6-2. Fognini made three unforced errors at 4-4 in the second set and Kokkinakis earned the break after Fognini made his third double fault of the match. 

Kokkinakis leads 4-0 in his head-to-head matches against Fognini. The Australian player will face Hubert Hurkacz in the second round. 

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