ATP’s Timing Gets Tricky for Players

The ATP tour had well-meaning intentions, but its execution didn’t quite have the desired effect Friday at the Pacific Life Open.

In trying to close another loophole -- after being chided in legal terms in the Greg Rusedski decision for insufficient warnings to the players on the possibility of contaminated supplements -- ATP officials were scrambling to get the word out at Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

You might be able to lead a tennis player to information, just not on the court before a match. Taylor Dent of Huntington Beach said the referee handed him a piece of paper on the court before his first-round victory against qualifier Giovanni Lapentti of Ecuador.

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Dent didn’t.

“That was a bit strange. Right before the match, ‘Geez, did they test me positive or something? Why are you giving me this now?’ ” Dent said, chuckling. “I just put it in my bag. I’m like, ‘I’m not going to look at this now.’ ”

It hasn’t exactly been the smoothest of weeks for the ATP. In the aftermath of the Rusedski decision, Andre Agassi suggested that the organization apologize to the British player if indeed it had been responsible for the contaminated supplement.

Mark Miles, the ATP’s chief executive, has been meeting privately with players the last couple of days, according to an ATP spokesperson. Eight players, including Rusedski, have been cleared of doping charges because it could not be ruled out that they were inadvertently given the tainted supplements by tour trainers.

This was the statement handed out to the players: “In May 2003, the ATP ceased distribution of all nutritional, dietary and sports supplements for the reason that these products may be contaminated with substances prohibited by the Tennis Anti-Doping Program.

“The ATP warns players not to consume any nutritional, dietary or sports supplement including electrolyte replacement tablets that were at any time recommended or distributed by any representative of the ATP.”

If the players have any remaining supplements, they are supposed to destroy them. Dent said he wouldn’t have to do so. “I was never big on supplements. Just Advil, baby,” he said.

Dent, who beat Lapentti, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, has been struggling. His serve has been off all year, in particular, his ball toss too low. He planned on hitting more serves later Friday night.

“It’s a trickle-down effect,” he said. “Because I’m serving so many [double faults] and such a low first-serve percentage, I feel I have to make every single volley and make it great.”

The award for comeback of the day belonged to wild card Tommy Haas of Germany, who won his first match since late 2002. Haas, who sat out last year because of shoulder surgery, defeated wild card Thomas Enqvist of Sweden, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, in the first round. “I’m still trying to get the shoulder back or even better than it’s been,” Haas said. “It felt really good today to play three tough sets.”

Of the women’s second-round matches, No. 3 Lindsay Davenport of Laguna Beach had the easiest path, beating Mara Santangelo of Italy, 6-0, 6-0, and the highest-seeded player to lose was No. 9 Jelena Dokic of Serbia, who was eliminated by Gala Leon Garcia of Spain, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. Also exiting was former Indian Wells champion Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, who lost to Marissa Irvin of Santa Monica, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (3).

“I came into this thinking I was playing pretty well,” Irvin said. “So it’s nice to see that, indeed, it’s paying off.”

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Featured Matches

Today at Indian Wells

STADIUM COURT

Starting at 10 a.m.

* Flavia Pennetta, Italy, vs. Maria Sharapova, Russia

* Justine Henin-Hardenne, Belgium, vs. Samantha Reeves

* David Sanchez, Spain, vs. Andre Agassi

* Gustavo Kuerten, Brazil, vs. Taylor Dent or Giovanni Lapentti, Ecuador

Not before 6:30 p.m.

* Thomas Johansson, Sweden, vs. Lleyton Hewitt, Australia

* Tommy Haas, Germany, vs. Paradorn Srichaphan, Thailand