Korda Having to Defend More Than His Title in Melbourne

The defending Australian Open champion needed three bodyguards to escort him several yards to an elevator from a meeting room, wading through a herd of reporters, camera crews and photographers.

You might say Petr Korda’s skills of defense are not limited to the tennis court anymore.

The highest-profile steroid case in tennis has dominated the buildup to the Australian Open, despite the legitimate chances of two national heroes, Patrick Rafter and Mark Philippoussis. Korda, of the Czech Republic, tested positive for the steroid nandrolone, a banned substance, during Wimbledon last year but said he was unaware he took the steroid.

After the International Tennis Federation’s independent appeals committee last month ruled against imposing the maximum one-year ban, several prominent players spoke out against the decision, including Jim Courier, Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden and Lindsay Davenport. Others, such as Andre Agassi, urged that Korda be given the benefit of the doubt.

But Bjorkman called it the “worst decision” the ITF has made, saying: “Why be tested 15 times when we are still not going to be really hard on the guys who are cheating? . . . He played his best tennis all the way up to Wimbledon and then he was gone.”

After Wimbledon, Korda played in 10 tournaments and won four matches. He lost in the first round at the U.S. Open to a qualifier.

In the wake of the strident criticism, the ITF is appealing the decision to the International Olympic Committee’s Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland. Korda, however, responded by seeking a High Court injunction in London to block the ITF’s action.

The mandatory ATP players’ meeting at the Grand Hyatt here Saturday night was the first chance for many of Korda’s peers to confront him. Only one player directly asked Korda to speak about the issue, according to player council chairman Todd Martin. Korda, 31, did not respond.

Among those addressing the situation were Courier, Agassi and Michael Chang. Many players had hoped to receive some answers about the “exceptional circumstances” behind the decision of the appeals committee not to invoke the yearlong suspension. They did not receive that information during the three-hour meeting.

“We were told we had to wait until the appeals process runs out,” Michael Tebbutt of Australia said. “Obviously, players aren’t too happy about it. No one was outright going after Korda, but everyone just wants an explanation.

“We need to find out why. Other people might think, ‘Well, if one person can get away with it, I can [too].’ ”

There is a concern that a dangerous precedent may be set in the men’s game. Already, it has happened on the women’s tour. Last year, the ITF did not impose sanctions on American Samantha Reeves, who tested positive for nandrolone. Reeves claimed she was unaware of the presence of steroids in a weight-loss dietary supplement she took.

“In my own opinion, I would support a two-year suspension if the IOC passed it,” said Martin, who got to the meeting late because he had been in Sydney earlier in the day, winning a tournament there.

In a later development, the ATP tour player council today voted to pass the proposal that will increase the suspension to two years from one for a first positive test of a Class One prohibited substance, which includes anabolic agents. The proposal now goes to the ATP’s board of directors and it is expected to be ratified.

Korda’s defense of his title starts the second day of the tournament against Galo Blanco of Spain. Although he did not speak to the media after the meeting, he did talk to Czech television beforehand, saying: “I still can’t explain the mystery, even to myself.”

THE FIVE FAVORITES (MEN)

1. Agassi: How often is he going to get the chance to play a Grand Slam event without having to worry about Pete Sampras? “I feel more ready now than I have in a long time,” Agassi said.

2. Rafter: Poor guy. In his home country, the usually carefree Rafter appears to be more like a hunted and haunted rock star. His buildup has been less than impressive, losing to Czech Slava Dosedel in Adelaide and rising countryman Lleyton Hewitt at Sydney.

3. Alex Corretja: His confidence received a major boost when he beat Sampras and fellow Spaniard Carlos Moya to win the ATP Championships in Hanover, Germany, and Corretja can supplant Sampras at No. 1 by reaching the Australian Open final.

4. Philippoussis: Said he turned from a boy into a man at the U.S. Open and got all the way to the final, losing to Rafter. Heavy baggage and hometown pressure may prevent another dramatic transformation.

5. Moya: His career breakthrough came in Melbourne two years ago when he got to the final and lost to Sampras in straight sets. Since then, he has steadily improved, winning the French Open and reaching the U.S. Open semifinals in 1998.

THE FIVE FAVORITES (WOMEN)

1. Davenport: Not many players can make Martina Hingis look bad, but Davenport did so with an impressive power baseline display in the Sydney final. It was only the fifth time in 14 matches between the two players that the result has been determined in straight sets.

2. Hingis: She will have to serve better than she did against Davenport for a successful defense of her Australian Open title. (She double-faulted three times in one game). Mary Pierce is in her quarter of the draw, and either Monica Seles, Steffi Graf or Serena Williams could emerge to play Hingis in the semifinals.

3. Seles: So what if she hasn’t played any tournaments in 1999? Seles has never lost at the Australian Open, winning four titles.

4. Graf: In her latest comeback and most successful one, Graf has defeated almost every top player. Davenport has given her the most trouble recently--although Graf beat her before the U.S. Open--but the top-ranked player in the world is in the other half of the draw.

5. Venus Williams: The draw is relatively forgiving until a possible quarterfinal match against Davenport. Since reaching the U.S. Open final in 1997, Williams has had a consistent Grand Slam record, one semifinal and three quarterfinal appearances.