BRISBANE, Australia(AP) Richard Gasquet exhaled deeply and stuck out his tongue, relieved that he could finally start scrutinizing a victory on court rather than one in court.
The 23-year-old Frenchman had a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win over Finland's Jarkko Nieminen on Monday in the first round of the Brisbane International, his first tournament since a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport took the uncertainty out of his immediate career.
Gasquet said the victory was important to help clear his mind after months of turmoil that started when a doping test last March showed traces of cocaine.
It is just good for me to play with nothing in the head,'' said Gasquet, a semifinalist in Brisbane last year.It was most important I could play relaxed.''
The CAS last month rejected an appeal from the World Anti-Doping Agency and International Tennis Federation against an earlier decision to clear Gasquet of the doping violation.
A panel of three lawyers from the Lausanne-based CAS accepted Gasquet's claim that he inadvertently consumed cocaine by kissing a woman in a Miami club hours after withdrawing from a tournament with an injury.
The judges decided that the quantity of the drug in Gasquet's urine test was minute'' and that he wasclearly not a regular cocaine user.''
``The possibility of contamination became the most plausible explanation,'' CAS said.
Asked if the experience had made him a different player, Gasquet shrugged three times, took another deep breath. He said it hadn't changed his style, but he'd learned a lot from it.
I had another story, for sure. But I'm not a different player. I just lose six months. For sure I need to have a rhythm,'' Gasquet said.I spent a lot of time with a big story for the head. That's why it's not easy to come back, that's why I'm happy to win.''
Gasquet missed the French Open and Wimbledon while suspended, and in his first main-draw match after returning lost in straight sets to top-seeded Rafael Nadal at the U.S. Open.
He finished outside the top 50 last season for the first time in five years, but now is aiming to add to his five career titles and get back closer to his career-high No. 7 ranking.
I've won tournaments in my life, so why not?'' he said.I want to play relaxed match after match to improve my level ... and to come back and play my best game.''