Greg Rusedski's career and reputation will hang on the outcome of a closed-door hearing on Monday investigating the tennis player's positive drugs test.
While Rusedski quickly stepped forward and admitted testing positive for the banned steroid nandrolone during a tournament in the Indianapolis last July, the 30-year-old British number two has had little to say since his first-round defeat by Spain's Albert Costa at the Australian Open.
The hearing, headed by lawyer Yves Fortier, is scheduled to take place at an undisclosed location in Canadian-born Rusedski's hometown of Montreal but few other details have emerged.
Fortier, who has worked with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland, has refused to comment on the case. According to his secretary, he is out of the country and not expected back in Montreal on Monday.
The ATP, which appointed the tribunal, has been equally tight-lipped and refused to confirm a date, time or location for the inquiry.
There had been reports Rusedski would not attend the hearing but would instead answer any questions via a conference call.
However, Rusedski's public relations firm in London confirmed he would be in Montreal and was confident he would be cleared of the doping offence.
"I am feeling strong and confident in facing my tribunal hearing in Montreal on Monday as I know I am innocent," Rusedski said in a statement released on Friday by his agents.
"I am advised that the tribunal chairman Mr Fortier is very highly qualified in this area and so I am confident of a fair trial.
"I am represented by Mark Gay who is known as the lawyer for the prosecution in sports drugs cases.
"He was so convinced of the exceptional nature of this case that he agreed to represent me.
"I am driven by the fact that seven other players with identical findings of metabolites of nandrolone and the same unique fingerprint were exonerated.
"I expect a fair trial and hope for a swift verdict so that I can return to playing tennis and put an end to this extremely stressful period of my life."
FACES BAN
A decision is expected to take up to two weeks and if found guilty, the 1997 U.S. Open finalist faces a two-year ban which could effectively end his career.
Key to Rusedski's defence are seven other players who were exonerated after an independent inquiry ruled last year that they could have taken contaminated electrolyte supplements handed out by the ATP's trainers.
The ATP stopped its staff handing out the supplements in May 2003.
Rusedski tested positive for nandrolone two months later and is believed to be the only player to have exceeded the allowable nandrolone limit since the announcement.
Conducting its own inquiry into those seven positive tests, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had been invited by the ATP to sit in on Rusedski's hearing.
WADA said on Friday Rusedski had changed his mind and barred them from the inquiry.
"We were told he did not want us there," a WADA spokesperson said.
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