Drug row behind, Richie vows to step on the gas
Dec. 31: It was one of the most bizarre explanations used as a defence in a doping case, yet it turned out to be successful. When French tennis star Richard Gasquet claimed that he inadvertently consumed cocaine by kissing a woman at a nightclub in the mid 2009, the entire tennis fraternity was in splits.
But the unusual response saved Gasquet’s tennis career as the Court of Arbitration for Sport startlingly accepted his response. The CAS, in fact, called it “the most plausible explanation”.
The 24-year-old Gasquet, who is one of the main attractions at the 2011 Chennai Open, says he has put the doping saga behind him. “It was the darkest phase of my life. When everyone was playing Wimbledon that year, I spent the summer attending the trial. I have to thank a lot of people who came to my support. Rafael Nadal was one of them. His encouraging words helped me a lot when I was going through the torment,” said Gasquet.
Having been exonerated from the charges at the end of 2009, Gasquet has been bidding to recapture his place in the top-10. He was ranked as high as No.7 in 2007, courtesy semifinal appearances in Wimbledon and Paris Masters, and a triumph at Kingfisher Open in Mumbai.
Known for his single-handed backhand and nimble feet, Gasquet was once touted as the hottest talent on the circuit.
Gasquet wants to make his maiden Chennai trip a memorable one. “I have heard a lot of about this city and I am looking forward to an eventful tournament,” he signed off.
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