Let me introduce (or re-introduce to hardcore tennis fans), Richard Gasquet.
He has been cleared to play again by the International Tennis Federation, who had banned Gasquet for 75 days due to some doping violations. He tested positive for cocaine.
The circumstances behind his drug use is where the story gets funny....borderline hilarious.
Gasquet's defense was that while he was in Miami, he kissed a woman who had just consumed some coke and that it got into his system when he kissed her.
At the tribunal, the Federation reversed its stance on the originally idea of a two-year ban, but due to the amount of cocaine, which they said amounted a grain of salt, in his positive test, it would be an injustice.
The board also went on to praise Gasquet's character by saying that "We have found the player to be a person who is shy and reserved, honest and truthful, and a man of integrity and good character".
Now, it would be my journalistic duty to report the rest of the details of the story, but we are bloggers and the code is a little less stringent for entertainment purposes.
I just found the story funny that, a shy a reserved person, would go to a club known for its drug use and kiss a woman in the mouth that he just met, and had just consumed enough cocaine to earn him a positive test. And that he went to the club after he withdrew from a tournament, which automatically earns you a drug test by the ITF when a player suddenly does such a thing.
Just found this interesting, thats all.
