London, Dec 17 (DPA) The tennis bureaucracy finally caught up with a fast-moving Belgian court ruling as US Open semi-finalist Yanina Wickmayer and Belgian compatriot Xavier Malisse were given official permission to return to the sport by the International Tennis Federation.
The pair, whose one-year bans for missing doping tests were overturned this week in their home country, spent two days in limbo as the federation struggled to get up to speed with the situation.
A statement from the sanctioning body said: “The ITF has removed both Mr Malisse and Ms Wickmayer from the list of suspended players, and both are eligible to participate with immediate effect.”
The pair can now entertain hopes of possible Australian Open wild cards next month.
The delay in receiving the official ITF blessing was attributed to consultations with the World Anti-Doping Agency and lawyers.
Wickmayer and Malisse were sanctioned for violating the controversial “whereabouts” rule, under which players must notify anti-doping czars of their location for every day of the year in case testers wish to show up unexpectedly.
Malisse, a 2002 Wimbledon semi-finalist, had said that at age 29, his career would effectively be over if he were suspended.
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