Korda still in Australian Open
ITF's decision will not keep Korda out of Grand Slam event
Posted: Friday January 08, 1999 11:34 AM
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Korda will get a chance to defend his Australian Open title Al Bello/Allsport |
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- The International Tennis Federation's
(ITF) plan to overturn its own appeals committee's decision not to
suspend Petr Korda was unlikely to stop him from defending his
Australian Open title this month, the federation said Friday.
The tennis governing body's London office confirmed it would
lodge an appeal with the Court of Arbitration in Sport before
Monday but warned it could be up to four months before sport's
highest court handed down a ruling.
Meanwhile, in Western Australia, ITF president Brian Tobin was
forced to justify the federation's actions in the wake of calls by
players for stronger action against the Czech after he tested
positive to steroids at Wimbledon last year.
The ITF then had 10 days in which to lodge a second, more
detailed appeal and then the panel of three judges -- one appointed
by the court, one by the federation and one by Korda -- had four
months in which to make a decision.
"He is still, while this is going on, free to play tennis,"
ITF spokesman Alun James said.
The ITF plans to challenge the decision of its appeal committee
that waived the one-year ban for Class 1 drug offenses provide
under ITF, ATP and WTA anti-doping rules.
Lindsay Davenport and Zimbabwe's Byron Black joined Sweden's
Jonas Bjorkman on Thursday in calling for Korda's suspension.
Korda claimed he didn't know how the substance got into his
system, but Tobin said he believed the panel had erred.
On Friday, Australian Davis Cup captain John Newcombe said if he
was on the men's tour he would want the issue addressed and a
stricter punishment branded for such an act.
"Because we haven't had much of it [performance-enhancing drugs
in tennis], when it does come up it's something that we haven't had
a lot of experience in our sport to deal with," Newcombe said. "So it becomes a bit tough in that regard so maybe it's getting
brought out into the open now and unfortunately for Petr Korda he's
caught in the middle of that."
Newcombe said taking performance-enhancing drugs was "plain not
fair."
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