Tennis: Spanish player Nuria Llagostera Vives banned for 2 years

MADRID - Spanish tennis player Nuria Llagostera Vives, doubles winner at the 2009 WTA tour championships, has been banned for two years after testing positive for d-methamphetamine, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said on Monday (Tuesday, PHL time).

Mallorca-born Llagostera Vives, 33, gave a urine sample at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford in July where she was competing in the doubles, the ITF said.

After analysis at the WADA-accredited laboratory in Montreal, Canada it was found to contain the prohibited substance.

"An independent hearing was held [on October 29], in which Ms Llagostera Vives ... was not able to demonstrate how the d-amphetamine entered her system," the ITF added.

"It was determined that she is suspended from participation for a period of two years, commencing from 8 September 2013, the date on which she was provisionally suspended, and so ending at midnight on 7 September 2015."

Llagostera, who has two career singles and 16 doubles titles, denied deliberately doping and suggested to the tribunal she may have inadvertently ingested d-methamphetamine by drinking from the wrong water bottle while training.  — Reuters