Frustrated Halep questions long delay in doping hearing

LONDON : Former world number one Simona Halep has called on tennis's anti-doping organisation to give her the chance to clear her name after she was provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) in October.

The former Wimbledon and French Open champion was tested during last year's U.S. Open and both her A and B samples confirmed the presence of banned blood-booster roxadustat.

Halep strenuously denies knowingly taking a banned substance and says she has evidence which proves low quantities of the anti-anaemia drug entered her body because of an authorised supplement that was contaminated.

In a statement the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said anti-doping cases are not their responsibility and are handled by the ITIA, which was established by the sport's international governing bodies to oversee integrity matters such as doping and corruption.

In an interview with Tennis Majors, Halep's first since learning of her failed drugs test, the Romanian said she has so far been denied her right to be heard by an independent court.

"I didn't want to get out and talk because it was very emotional," Halep, who at the time described her failed test as the biggest shock of her life, told Tennis Majors.

"Actually, I couldn't handle it very well. But now I feel the need to speak out loud to my supporters, my fans, and to the public because I am sure they really want to know why it's taking so long and I really felt the need to do that."

Halep says she sent evidence about the contamination to the ITF in December and hoped her case would be heard by an independent tribunal in February but that it was postponed and then a new date in March had also been put back.

"The ITF requested that the hearing on March