July 17, 2023. On this day, Teimuras Gabashvili (36) will again be able to take part in a tennis tournament. Until then, he has been banned from all international competitions by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for doping.
The native Georgian, who lives in Moscow and plays for Russia, was found to have furosemide in a urine sample during the tournament in Almaty, Kazakhstan (July 14th to 20th). The drug is popularly known as “Lasix” and is colloquially referred to as a “dehydrating agent”.
However, due to its secondary effect, it is on the list of prohibited substances of the “World Doping Agency” (WADA). The pharmaceutical lowers blood pressure, which can lead to improved performance.
Two defeats against Federer
The ITF announced the official guilty verdict via Twitter: “Mr. Gabashvili has admitted the violation of the anti-doping regulation and is subject to an indispensable suspension of 20 months.” This started at the time of the conviction on November 18.
The Georgian is currently number 277 in the world. Gabashvili achieved his highest ranking in February 2016 when he was number 43 in the world. The 36-year-old competed twice against Roger Federer (40). In 2007 at Wimbledon and in 2014 at the Australian Open, he lost in three sets against the maestro. (che)
