Davis Cup defeat was due to poisoning: Haas

BERLIN:  German tennis star Tommy Haas revealed he believes he was poisoned during his country's Davis Cup semi-final defeat to Russia in Moscow last September.
    
Haas was beaten in straight sets 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 by Igor Andreev in the singles as Russia claimed a 3-2 win over Germany on the weekend of September 21-23 to claim their place in the final against the USA.
    
"I have never felt so miserable in my whole life as I did on the Saturday and Sunday nights in Moscow," the 29-year-old told German agency SID on Wednesday.
    
"Of the eight hours I should have been sleeping, I spent six of them on the toilet."
    
Six weeks after the incident, Haas says he is still feeling the effects.
    
"My stomach is still doing some strange things."
    
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced it was holding an inquiry into Haas' suspicions.
    
"We were made aware of it today and the investigation will begin immediately," ITF communications officer Barbara Travers said.
    
The probe will be headed by Bill Babcock, the ITF's Davis Cup committee president.
    
Haas's suspicions seem to have been given credence by his Davis Cup team-mate Alexander Waske.
    
Waske said he was approached by a Russian, whom he has refused to name, who told him that Haas had been poisoned in Moscow.
    
"Someone came to me and said, 'it was a tight match, it's a shame that Tommy (Haas) was poisoned'," Waske told SID.
    
When Waske expressed his scepticism at the claim his informer reportedly told him: "Believe me Alex, I know Moscow, there are people who can make these kinds of things happen."
    
Team doctor Erich Rembeck tried everything to get Haas back to normal, but nothing worked.
    
"I tried everything from swallowing tablets to syringes, nothing worked," said Haas.
    
"It just made me feel worse, I really thought I would end up in hospital."
    
Haas denied his symptoms could have been simply down to nerves on the big occasion.
    
"Of course, every sportsman suffers from nerves, but I have dreamed my whole life of playing in a Davis Cup semi-final and I wouldn't have been nervous for such a game."
    
Haas flies to New York on Friday to undergo blood and hair tests to work out what poisoned him.
    
But the player insists his mysterious illness was no excuse for his defeat in Moscow.
    
"I gave everything I had in order to win there. If I could have done anything else, I would have done. But I couldn't help the team from my seat on the toilet."