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(Reuters) – Spain’s Fernando Verdasco questioned the French Open’s COVID-19 testing protocols on Friday after having to withdraw from the tournament due to a positive result, which he deemed false.
Verdasco, 36, withdrew from the last Grand Slam of the year in Paris on Thursday, along with Canadian Milos Raonic and Swiss Belinda Bencic.
The Spaniard said he had returned a negative result on several occasions before arriving in Paris, including at this month’s Italian Open in Rome, where he lost in the playoffs.
The world number 58 criticized the French Open testing procedures after he was denied a retest.
“In August, I passed COVID-19 asymptomatically,” he said in a statement on Twitter. here. “Since then I have done multiple PCR tests, with negative results … I was negative again a few days ago in the test I did before going to Hamburg …
“My team and my family traveled to Paris on Tuesday … everyone tested negative except me. I explained my history and situation to try to request another test …
“The Roland Garros organization refused to do another test, even taking into account all these circumstances, and that there were enough days to repeat the tests before the competition and the draw ceremony. Still, I was disqualified. “
Verdasco said he had undergone two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and one antibody test since withdrawing from the French Open and tested negative on all three tests.
“I want to communicate my utter frustration and outrage at the Roland Garros organization for taking away my right to participate even without giving me the opportunity to do another test with a new sample to confirm that the result of the first could be a mistake,” he said.
On Wednesday, Bosnian Damir Dzumhur said he was taking legal action against the French Open organizers after he was banned from entering the qualifying round after his coach Petar Popovic tested positive for the virus.
The French Open, which was moved from its regular schedule from late May to June due to the new coronavirus pandemic, starts on Sunday.
Report of Manasi Pathak in Chennai; Edited by Ken Ferris
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