Simona Halep has hit again at Caroline Wozniacki after the Dane mentioned she shouldn’t have been given a wildcard for the Miami Open.
Halep made a fast return to top-level motion after the Court of Arbitration for Sport diminished her doping ban from 4 years to 9 months two weeks in the past.
The two-time former grand-slam champion examined constructive for the blood-boosting drug Roxadustat on the US Open in 2022 and was handed the lengthy suspension final September.
However, CAS accepted Halep’s rationalization she had unwittingly ingested the substance in a contaminated complement, with the ruling coming 17 months after she was first provisionally suspended.
There has been a number of help for the Romanian, who was defeated by Paula Badosa in her first match in Florida on Tuesday, however Wozniacki took a special view talking to reporters after a 6-1 6-4 win over Clara Burel.
“I’ve always liked Simona,” mentioned Wozniacki, additionally a former world No.1. “We’ve always had a good relationship.
“If somebody has examined constructive for doping, I perceive why a match desires a giant star within the match, nevertheless it’s my private perception, and it is not a knock on anybody, that I do not suppose individuals ought to be awarded wildcards afterwards.
“If you want to come back, and it’s been a mistake, I understand, you should work your way up from the bottom.
“Simona’s scenario has clearly dragged on for a very long time. She obtained her suspension diminished. It wasn’t a clearance, it was a diminished sentence.
“I just hope for a clean sport. That’s all I want. I want to have good role models for the young generation. It’s a sport that has a lot of money in it, a lot of competitiveness, a lot of competitors. I want a fair fight.”
Halep was lower than impressed by Wozniacki’s feedback, responding: “Why did she say that?
“I did not do something flawed. I did not cheat. I did not dope. Thank you to the match for giving me the wildcard and have the chance to play in such a giant match. It was nice to be again.
“Only one person being negative about me is not that important because I have hundreds of people that are giving me love, so I will take that.”
Halep regarded like she had by no means been away as she raced to the primary set in simply 38 minutes however Spaniard Badosa, who’s herself getting back from long-term damage issues, dug in to win 1-6 6-4 6-3.
At her post-match press convention, Halep mentioned: “I missed this. I had emotions, but positive emotions; the crowd supporting me was so nice.
“The degree of tennis was fairly good – surprising for most people. I believe I did a great job at the moment. I’m proud of my first match coming again. I might charge it as a big day, truthfully.”
The 32-year-old admitted her career would have been over had the four-year ban been upheld but she remained positive the appeal against it would go her way.
“My mother and father all the time taught me that good all the time prevails,” she said. “I belief it 100 per cent from the primary day till the final day that the reality will come out and the choice will likely be taken in a good means.
“I knew I’m clean. I knew I didn’t do anything wrong. I believed that it’s impossible to stay four years for something that doesn’t exist.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
