World No. 16 Yanina Wickmayer has been offered wildcard entry to a WTA tennis tournament in Auckland in January after a Belgian court provisionally lifted her one-year suspension for anti-doping violations.
Belgium's Wickmayer and compatriot Xavier Malise received one year bans on Nov.5 for violating World Anti Doping Agency regulations by failing to report their whereabouts to drug testers. The International Tennis Federation imposed the bans worldwide.
Lawyers for Wickmayer, 20, argued she was not properly informed of the reporting requirements and Monday's injunction means she is eligible to play immediately.
Brenda Perry, tournament director for the US$220,000 ASB Classic which runs from Jan. 4 to 9, said Tuesday she had offered Wickmayer a wildcard.
``We've confirmed that if she's allowed to play we're offering her the wildcard,'' Perry said.
``As our entries have closed the only way she could enter would be via wildcard, and the indication is she wants to play and now we just have to wait for officials to confirm she is allowed to.''
A spokesperson for Wickmayer said after the court's ruling Monday she is hoping for wildcard entry to the Australian Open in January as entries have now closed.
