Lausanne, Switzerland – American tennis player Robert year suspension reduced to eight months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Last month, the International Tennis Federation decided to suspend Kendrick for one year after he tested positive for a banned stimulant at the French Open. The CAS confirmed that Kendrick was guilty of the offense, but decided to reduce the penalty following an appeal by the American.
His suspension will run through January 21, 2012.
The former top-100 player Kendrick, a first-round loser at Roland Garros back in May, said the stimulant, Methylhexaneamine, got into his system when he took a capsule to fight jet lag. He denied that it was used to enhance his performance.
The ITF accepted his excuse, but said a player is responsible for any banned substance he/she may have consumed.
The 31-year-old Kendrick is a 6-foot-3 California native who resides in Florida and reached a career-high 69th in the world in 2009.
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