British tennis player Greg Rusedski, who tested positive for the steroid nandrolone, was fighting to clear his name in an ATP tribunal today.

The 30-year-old, who has protested his innocence, arrived at the city centre offices of Montreal lawyer Yves Fortier, who will chair the hearing.

Fortier, who for five years was a member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, is expected to deliver his verdict in the next few days.

Montreal-born Rusedski, a former US Open finalist who reached a career-high world ranking of four in 1997 but has now dropped down the list, could be banned for up to two years, which would effectively end his career.

"I am confident and determined... because I am innocent," Rusedski said on Friday, adding he believed he would have a fair hearing. He will be represented by Mark Gay, who specialises in doping cases.

At the beginning of January it was Rusedski himself who admitted he had tested positive for nandrolone following a random blood test in Indianapolis last July.

His case is expected to be based on the precedent of the let-offs of seven players, including Czech Bohdan Ulihrach, who tested positive from mid-2002 to May 2003 but were finally exonerated after being given the benefit of the doubt by the ATP.

The ATP said at the time it believed traces of nandrolone might have been present in nutritional supplements given out to players by their own trainers.

The ATP have not distributed supplements since May 2003 however and Rusedski tested positive two months later, which will be the foundation of their argument.

Only four test results by tennis players were returned with raised levels of nandrolone and three of those were lower than the permitted limit of 2.0 nanogrammes per litre, according to the ATP.

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