BEIJING: Jannik Sinner said on Saturday he was “very disappointed” but confident after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the decision to clear him in his steroid case, seeking a ban of up to two years.

The Italian world number one twice tested positive for traces of the banned substance clostebol in March but was exonerated and allowed to carry on playing.

The 23-year-old went on to win the US Open earlier this month for his second major crown, weeks after the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) found he “bears no fault or negligence”.

The ITIA accepted his explanation that the drug entered his system when his physiotherapist used a spray containing it to treat a cut, then provided massage and sports therapy to the player.

Clostebol is an anabolic agent prohibited at all times by WADA, who on Thursday appealed the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“It is WADA’s view that the finding of ‘no fault or negligence’ was not correct under the applicable rules,” it said in a statement on Saturday.

WADA made the appeal announcement as Sinner was on court at the China Open, where the defending champion fought back to beat 69th-ranked Russian Roman Safiullin 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 in Beijing.

“WADA is seeking a period of ineligibility of between one and two years,” it added.

Sinner has consistently denied knowingly doping and said after his win: “Obviously I’m very disappointed and also surprised.

“We had three hearings. All three hearings came out very positively for me.”

In a statement released later on Saturday Sinner said that he had “nothing to hide” and bemoaned WADA’s decision “after the independent judges (from the ITIA) had exonerated me and deemed me to be innocent”.

He added: “They issued an in-depth judgement explaining why they determined me not at fault, with clear evidence provided and my cooperation throughout.

“On the back of such a robust process both the ITIA and the Italian anti-doping authority accepted it and waived their rights to appeal.

“It is difficult to see what will be gained by asking a different set of three judges to look at the same facts and documentation all over again.”

On court in Beijing, Sinner fell behind against the “lucky loser” Safiullin on Saturday after also dropping a set in his opening victory over Chile’s Nicolas Jarry.

The second set went with serve until the sixth game when Sinner finally broke to go up 4-2, celebrating with a subtle fist pump.

Sinner took control early on in the deciding set on the way to an ultimately comfortable victory to reach the last eight, where he faces Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic.

In-form Sinner has reached at least the quarter-final of every tournament he has played this year.

On the women’s side, top seed Aryna Sabalenka overcame a sluggish start to defeat Thai qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew 6-4, 6-1 and move to the third round of the China Open on Saturday.

Sabalenka of Belarus won her 13th straight WTA Tour match in 76 minutes.

She in the next round faces American Ashlyn Krueger, a 6-1, 7-6 (4) winner over Lulu Sun of New Zealand.

Home-country favourite Qinwen Zheng, who won the Olympic gold medal, played a quick match, defeating Kamilla Rakhimova of Russia 6-1, 6-1 in front of a cheering crowd of about 15,000.

Zheng will aim to maintain the momentum in the third round against Nadia Podoroska of Argentina, who defeated Russian Dayana Yastremska 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-2.

Other winners on Saturday included Jaqueline Cristian of Romania, who upset seventh-seeded Czech Barbora Krejcikova 1-6, 6-4, 7-5; 13th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil; 16th seed Donna Vekic of Croatia; 17th seed

Mirra Andreeva of Russia; and 18th seed Madison Keys.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2024