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Russian U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova told of possible plans to sue the Belgian politician who accused her of failing a drugs test. “He definitely has to pay for it,” Reuters quoted Kuznetsova as saying at a news conference Wednesday. “My lawyers, my agents, my parents, WTA, everybody is working on it.” Belgian regional sports minister Claude Eerdekens said this week that Kuznetsova had returned a positive result following a doping test at an exhibition tournament in Charleroi last month. But Kuznetsova was cleared after the governing body the WTA Tour said Eerdekens had spoken out of turn because ephedrine, the stimulant she tested positive for, is permitted at exhibition events. The incident did not keep Kuznetsova beating Marion Bartoli of France 6-2 6-0 to reach the third round at the Australia Open at Melbourne Park but could not escape the spotlight. The 19-year-old said she was trying her best to ignore the doping issue while she competes but that her lawyers were already considering action against Eerdekens. “Everybody’s on my side because this is a terrible thing what can happen,” she said. Kuznetsova explained that she was innocent of any wrongdoing and disputed the minister’s claim that she failed to tell the drug testers she had taken medicine to treat a cold. |