LONDON (AP) - Former top-100 player Robert Kendrick of the United States was suspended for a year by the International Tennis Federation on Friday after testing positive for a banned stimulant at the French Open.
After failing the May 22 test, Kendrick said the stimulant got into his system because of a capsule he took to combat jet lag. He denied trying to enhance his performance. Kendrick lost in the first round at Roland Garros.
The ITF accepted his account, but said a player is responsible for any banned substance in his body. His suspension runs until May 21, 2012.
The 31-year-old Kendrick was born in California and lives in Florida. He reached a career-best ranking of 69th in 2009 and is currently 105th.
Methylhexaneamine has been at the center of numerous doping cases in recent months.
The World Anti-Doping Agency recently loosened the classification of the substance to the “specified stimulant” list, covering drugs that are more susceptible to inadvertent use and can carry reduced penalties.
Two South Africa rugby players recently tested positive for the stimulant. Last year, a dozen Indian athletes _ including wrestlers, weightlifters and swimmers _ tested positive for methylhexaneamine just before the Commonwealth Games and were banned.
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