Tennis: Classic still hoping to get Wickmayer

Yanina Wickmayer, the rising Belgian star slated to be one of the top seeds at January's Auckland women's tennis open, could still feature at the tournament despite being handed a one-year ban for breaching doping rules.

ASB Classic director Brenda Perry said Wickmayer planned to appeal against a ban for breaching the "whereabouts rule", which states that players must notify their national doping agency of where they can be reached every day.

Perry was in discussions with Wickmayer's management about whether a successful appeal would clear the world No 18 in time for the tournament but hadn't received a definitive answer yesterday.

Wickmayer's appeal is likely to centre on the fact that she was unable to get on to the World Anti Doping Authority website to log her whereabouts for a period of two weeks.

Perry had heard in October that Wickmayer faced a hearing into a similar matter but had been told by the player's management the punishment would be merely a warning.

"As I understand it she has not failed a test and has not shown up for a test. Under the WADA whereabouts programme she has to say where she will be for an hour a day every day for the next three months.

"As I understand from her agent there was a two-week period where she had difficulty logging in and that is the period where this has occurred.

She will be appealing but we don't know how long that process takes. I expect to hear in the next 24 hours."

Wickmayer was suspended by the Flemish Doping Tribunal but as of yesterday the International Tennis Federation, which is responsible for doping controls in tennis, said it had not been informed of the suspension.

"Before we can comment on doping cases until we have been notified in writing by the Belgian anti-doping agency and that has not happened as yet," an ITF spokesman said.

The World Anti-Doping Body, whose doping code was signed by the ITF in 2004, said in a statement it had yet to be informed of the suspensions to Wickmayer and fellow Belgian Xavier Malisse, who is alleged to have missed a test.

Wickmayer yesterday withdrew from the Tournament of Champions in Bali.

The 20-year-old has been a big improver this year, after beginning the season ranked 71st in the world.

She has claimed two WTA Tour titles and also reached her first Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open in September where she bowed out to Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki.

The 1.82m Wickmayer this season has won at Linz and Estoril, and reached the final at s'Hertogenbosch as well as the semifinals at Nottingham and quarter-finals at Birmingham.