SPAIN/RUSSIA: TENNIS: German tennis federation head says no evidence amid rumours that Tommy Haas was poisoned in Russia

German Tennis Federation (DTB) President Georg Von Waldenself said on Thursday (November 8) there is currently no medical evidence to support a rumour that Tommy Haas was poisoned during Germany's Davis Cup semi-final defeat by Russia in Moscow in September. "Up until now there is no proof for poisoning and I think there are rumours and the German Tennis Federation does not speculate. We do not act unless there is a proof and until now there is no proof so there is no need to react," Waldenself told reporters in Madrid, where the WTA Championships are currently being played. German Davis Cup doubles player Alexander Waske was quoted in Germany's media on Wednesday (November 7) as saying an unnamed Russian had told him in Moscow that Haas had been poisoned. DTB spokesman Oliver Quante said on Thursday that Haas had confirmed he would travel to New York for hair and blood tests to see if there was any truth to the rumour. Waldenself said: "So we wait for the outcome of the tests and then we think over what's next." However, he said that German team doctor Erich Rembeck had noted there was no medical evidence to support the claim. A senior Russian tennis official has called the poisoning story "complete rubbish" and Waldenself commented on Thursday: "I can understand the Russian Federation but I don't blame the Russians for anything that is just rumour at the moment. Nobody stands for it, we don't have any testimonial of this. So I think it is fair to say that there is nothing to do for us at the moment," he said. Haas, Germany's number one player, was beaten in straight sets on the opening day of the Davis Cup match and was unable to play in the reverse singles on Sunday because of an apparent case of gastro-enteritis. "I had never in my life felt so dreadful and I was really starting to get scared," Haas was quoted as saying in Thursday's Bild newspaper. Russia won the tie 3-2 with victories in both the final day's singles rubbers. Alexander Katsnelson, general director of the Kremlin Cup who was responsible for organising the Davis Cup semi-final from the Russian side, said on Thursday it was odd that the story had come out more than a month after the match. It would not have made sense for the Russians to poison Haas because he was Germany's weakest player in the tie, he added. Haas was thrashed by Igor Andreev 6-2 6-2 6-2 in the opening singles rubber before being replaced by the 206th-ranked Philipp Petzschner for the reverse singles on the final day. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) is investigating the rumour, spokeswoman Barbara Travers said on Thursday.

ITN Source | November 9, 2007

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