Novacek checks back into the Tour

John Roberts sees a former top 10 player's return to tennis in Dubai

At twilight here yesterday, Karel Novacek rejoined the mainstream ATP Tour for the first time since a newspaper alleged that he and Mats Wilander tested positive for cocaine at last year's French Open.

After successfully competing in a doubles match at the Dubai Open, the Czech said he suspected that somebody at the International Tennis Federation had "leaked information". He reiterated that he and Wilander, the Swedish former world No 1, were determined to prove their innocence.

Friday marks the two-week deadline the ITF was given by a High Court judge in London to prove that it has evidence against Novacek and Wilander. The players and their lawyers say they have been denied access to laboratory reports relating to urine tests in Paris.

"It's been a very difficult time," Novacek said. "It makes you feel like a criminal. One thing for sure is that no money in the world can repair what happened that Sunday [when the story appeared].''

Novacek recounted that he saw the headlines when was at the railway station in Dusseldorf waiting to meet his wife and daughter, who were travelling from Frankfurt to accompany him to a Challenger tournament in Lippstadt. "It was the worst moment of my life," he said. "I was in tears, in shock.''

He added: "I have nothing to hide. I'm innocent, and that's it. Otherwise it would be impossible for me to look at my wife and daughter and for me to play tennis. I have been dedicated all my life to be a good son, to be a good husband, to be a good father and to play good tennis."

Novacek, who is due to play Russia's Alexander Volkov today in the first round of the singles, partnered his compatriot Jiri Novak to a 7-5, 3- 6, 6-2 win against their compatriots, Tomas Krupa and Paul Vizner.

"I am so happy to be back on the court, and so grateful that I was given a wild card for this tournament," the 30-year-old Novacek said. Formerly a top 10 player, his ranking is down to No 145 following a series of injury problems.

Wilander, ranked No 49, withdrew from the pounds 1m event. "Mats is so disappointed how things have gone that he says he needs to rest and clear his head," Novacek said. The Swede has entered the Philadelphia event on 26 February.

"Mats was ready to play in the Australian Open when he heard that the ITF were going to have a hearing in London during the second week and he said it was important to be there. But the hearing was cancelled five minutes before 12 o'clock the night before," Novacek said. "After everything that happened he altered his schedule.''

Jim Courier, the No 3 seed, was the first big name to be eliminated in the opening round here, surprisingly defeated, 7-5, 7-6, on the even-paced concrete court to the Spanish clay-court specialist, Alberto Berasategui, who is ranked 37.

n Andre Agassi yesterday launched an attack on Thomas Muster who is competing in Dubai. On the day when the Austrian supplanted him as the world No 1 according to the ATP computer, Agassi said that while he commends him for putting in the work to become an elite player, he does not believe that Muster, who won 11 of his 12 titles on clay in 1995, will hold the spot very long. ''I'll tell you what, if he's number one at the end of the year, I'll allow him to sit in the Royal Box at Wimbledon and bow to me," Agassi said. "I'd be shocked. It will be difficult to repeat the same run he had last year." Agassi added that because Muster spends most of his year on clay and avoids surfaces such as grass, he believed it did not make the sport look good.