A bitter drugs controversy embroiling Russian tennis star Svetlana Kuznetsova loomed over the Australian Open on Tuesday as the big guns eased through in early-round matches.
Former US Open champion Andy Roddick and reigning French Open champion Anastasia Myskina led the way into the second round of the men’s and women’s draws as the form book held sway on day two at Melbourne Park.
Big-serving second seed Roddick had too much firepower for world number 75 Iralki Labadze, overwhelming his Georgian opponent 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 in bright afternoon sunshine in the Rod Laver Arena.
Roddick now faces Greg Rusedski in the next round after the veteran Briton ousted Sweden’s Jonas Bjorkmann 2-6, 6-4, 6-0, 7-6 (9/7).
Other men’s seeds to go through on Wednesday included Argentinian number six Guillermo Coria, a 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 winner over Czech Tomas Berdych.
He was joined by compatriot Guillermo Canas, seeded 12, who defeated Chris Guccione of Australia 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4), while French 14th seed Sebastien Grosjean came through against compatriot Michael Llodra 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.
The women’s draw followed a similar pattern, with third seed Myskina setting the trend in her 6-1, 6-4 victory over Kveta Peschke of the Czech Republic.
There was also a win for highly rated Australian prospect Alicia Molik, the 10th seed brushing aside Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain, 6-1, 6-3.
In other matches on Tuesday, men’s third seed Lleyton Hewitt was due to make his entrance in the men’s competition, while women’s world number one Lindsay Davenport and eighth seed Venus Williams get their campaigns under way.
But the on-court action was overshadowed by the controversy involving fifth-seeded US Open champion Kuznetsova.
The 19-year-old was named by regional Belgian sports minister Claude Eerdekens on Monday as testing positive for the substance ephedrine after a drugs test at an exhibition event last month.
The disclosure sparked uproar on Tuesday, with WTA Tour chief executive Larry Scott accusing the Belgian official of perpetrating a ”tremendous injustice” against the player.
Ephedrine, a stimulant often found in common over-the-counter drug remedies, has been at the centre of several notorious drug controversies in the past but was reclassified last year by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).
While ephedrine’s use during competition remains prohibited, athletes may now avoid sanction if it is found in their system in the off-season, provided there is a valid reason for its presence, such as ingestion in a cold remedy.
Kuznetsova explained she had taken medicine for a cold during the charity event in Belgium and is not guilty of a doping offence, pointing out that she passed at least 10 in-competition drug tests last year.
”I pride myself on being a clean athlete of the highest integrity and am offended by these disgraceful accusations,” Kuznetsova said in a statement.
”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 added.
WTA chief Scott, meanwhile, mounted a spirited defence of Kuznetsova, saying there is no chance of the player being punished.
Scott said that as far as the WTA is aware, Kuznetsova has not committed a doping offence, slamming disclosure of the test result as ”disgraceful, shameful and irresponsible”.
”The reports are saying ephedrine. I want to make clear that under the tennis anti-doping programme, ephedrine is not a banned substance when it’s out of competition,” Scott told a press conference.
”What Svetlana was playing in was a two-day charity exhibition during our off-season. This was not a competition,” said Scott, saying the whole sport has been tainted unnecessarily.
”The only reason I’m here is because a tremendous injustice has been done to our players and to our sport.”
Drug cases in women’s tennis are unheard of, although the men’s game has been dogged by several controversies in recent years.
Greg Rusedski was cleared of wrongdoing last year after failing a dope test, while in 1998 Czech Petr Korda tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone. — Sapa-AFP