MELBOURNE, Australia (Ticker) - WTA Tour CEO chief Larry Scott on Tuesday ripped Belgium sports mininister Claude Eerdekens for telling a Belgian news agency that a leading female player failed a drug test at an exhibition last month.
In comments made to the Belga news agency Monday, Eerdekens said U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia tested positive for the stimulant ephedrine during an exhibition in Belgium in December.
In a statement released by the WTA, Scott said he had "never seen a more disgraceful and irresponsible act by a sports official."
"This is an egregious breach of ethical standards of confidentiality and due process which govern anti-doping programs, and has unnecessarily tainted our sport," the statement continued.
Further, Scott accused Eerdekens of violating confidentiality agreements.
"The Belgian authorities have not complied with credible anti-doping procedures, which require the presumption of innocence and the strictest confidentiality. The regional Belgian sports minister who has made public comments on the matter has said himself that the named player must be presumed innocent."
Kuznetsova professed her innocence, saying that she only took a cold medicine during the tournament.
"There is absolutely no reason why I would take a stimulant to enhance my performance at an out-of-competition exhibition match in the middle of the offseason," she said. "What is true is that at the time of the exhibition match in question, I did have a cold and was taking a cold medicine."
Kuznetsova said no Belgian official has contacted her.
"I find it appalling that while there are numerous press reports containing allegations from a regional Belgian sports minister, nobody from the Belgian authorities has ever contacted me, even as of today," she added.
Kuznetsova played in an exhibition in Charleroi in December that included Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne, Russia's Elena Dementieva and France's Nathalie Dechy. Eerdekens ruled out Henin-Hardenne, thereby implicating the other players.
"I pride myself on being a clean athlete of the highest integrity and am offended by these disgraceful accusations," Kuznetsova said. "I was tested over 10 times in 2004 alone and have never tested positive in my career." Tennis Australia president Geoff Pollard confirmed he was aware of the test but said there were serious legal ramifications because of breaches of testing protocol.
"I did not know it had got into the media yet," Pollard told Melbourne radio station Sport 927. "I did hear it yesterday, but obviously their government did not abide by the protocols."
Pollard indicated the report could be premature, pointing to Greg Rusedski, a British tennis player who was cleared of failing a test last year.
Henin-Hardenne is not defending her title here due to a knee injury. Her manager husband called the report "nonsense."