Eerdekens said on Monday that the U.S. Open champion had returned a positive result following a doping test at an exhibition tournament in Charleroi last month.

However Kuznetsova was cleared of any wrongdoing on Tuesday after Larry Scott, the chief executive of the governing body the WTA Tour, said the stimulant she tested positive for is permitted at exhibition events.

"He definitely has to pay for it," Kuznetsova told a news conference at Melbourne Park.

"My lawyers, my agents, my parents, WTA, everybody is working on it.

"Everybody's on my side because this is a terrible thing what can happen," she said.

Following her second round defeat of Marion Bartoli, Kuznetsova reiterated that she was innocent of any wrongdoing and had taken medicine to treat a cold.

Kuznetsova said that she had fallen ill during the exhibition and was treated by the tournament doctor. She said the doctor told her the medicine was all right to take and she notified the drug testers.

"I had temperature like 37°C. I just felt sick and I went to the doctor. That is usual for everybody," she said.

"He gave me medicine and I was taking it. So nothing wrong with that. I was sick for, like maybe two days. I was taking it during the time he told me to."

"I'm not afraid of nothing because I didn't do nothing wrong. Maybe it's touch my reputation a little bit, but I think everybody understand."

Kuznetsova has yet to speak to Elena Dementieva or Nathalie Dechy, both of whom were also involved in the exhibition event with Justine Henin-Hardenne.

News source: www.eurosport.com
Print this news