Wickmayer handed missed tests ban

Unseeded Wickmayer lost to Caroline Wozniacki in the US Open semis

US Open semi-finalist Yanina Wickmayer has been handed a one-year ban for falling foul of doping regulations.

Wickmayer was suspended by the Flemish Doping Tribunal (VDT) for failing to fulfill the "whereabouts" requirement for drug testing on three occasions.

The world number 18 has denied any wrongdoing. She can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Compatriot Xavier Malisse has also been banned for a year over two similar "whereabouts" testing failures.

Under anti-doping regulations, athletes are obliged to tell national anti-doping authorities where they will be at a chosen hour each day for a three-month period.

Wickmayer has reached the last eight of this week's WTA tournament in Bali.

It was not immediately clear whether the doping tribunal's decision meant she would be prevented by the WTA from playing in Friday's semi-finals.

However, VDT spokesman Koen Uman said the suspension "has immediate effect".

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) said it had not been informed of the suspensions while the women's WTA Tour said it was also unable to comment.

"Before we can comment on doping cases until we have been notified in writing by the Belgian anti-doping agency and that has not happened as yet," an ITF spokesman said.

The VDT said in a statement issued on Thursday that the minimum one-year sanction was a "reasonable and justified" punishment.

Wickmayer has enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2009. Unseeded, she reached the last four at the US Open, having never passed the second round at any previous Grand Slam.

She won her first two tour titles at Estoril in May and Linz last month, earning her a spot in this week's season-ending champions event in Bali.

Malisse, 29, has slipped to 95 in the world rankings, having reached a high of 19 in 2002. He has won three titles in his career.

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