Haas demands answers over 'poisoning' in Russia

The German, who is based in the United States, was set to undergo a series of tests in New York in a bid to prove allegations made by his cup team-mate Alexander Waske that his illness during the tie in Moscow was the result of deliberate poisoning.

Waske claims an unidentified Russian informant told him about the poison plot after Haas was forced to miss a crucial rubber against Mikhail Youzhny in a tie ultimately won 3-2 by Russia.

Haas said: "I want to know whether it was a poisoning and if it can be proved."

Referring to his illness in the Russian capital, Haas told German newspaper Bild: "I sat - or better laid - six hours on the toilet. I have never felt so miserable in my life - I was really scared."

However, the German tennis association (DTB) insist initial tests carried out in Munich a week after the tie suggest there can be "no concrete suspicions that Tommy Haas has been poisoned".

The DTB said in a statement: "We have been as surprised as the public and are shocked because those are severe accusations.

"Alexander Waske told the DTB the same as what was published in the newspapers. We don't know who his informant was.

"DTB president (Georg) von Waldenfels yesterday spoke with Tommy Haas about the issue. Haas could only confirm those things that were written in the press.

"Davis Cup team doctor Erich Rembeck told us that from a medical point of view there are no concrete suspicions that Tommy Haas has been poisoned.

"Extensive blood and stool tests revealed no signs of a threat or endangering. To undergo those tests, Haas travelled to Munich one week after the games in Moscow.

"Because we have no medical proof of a poisoning and we don't know who and how reliable the Russian informant is, at the time being we don't assume that Tommy Haas has been poisoned.

"We lost at the weekend in question because the Russian team was better during those three days. We are not thinking about filing a protest about the result of the Davis Cup match."

Doubles specialist Waske sparked the controversy when he said: "I spoke with a Russian from Moscow at the Davis Cup. He said completely casually that Haas had been poisoned."

The International Tennis Federation are also investigating Waske's claims and stress that if the allegations are proved they will treat the matter very seriously.

The ITF's executive director of Davis Cup, Bill Babcock, will lead the investigation and if there is a case to be pursued it will be referred to the Davis Cup committee.

Germany led 2-1 going into the final day of the tie played between September 21 and 23, but Haas was unable to play his scheduled rubber against Youzhny because of stomach pains. His stand-in, Philipp Petzschner, lost in four sets before Igor Andreev won the decisive rubber.

The reports of Haas' alleged poisoning are the latest scandal to affect tennis, following Martina Hingis' retirement after testing positive for cocaine at this year's Wimbledon and an ATP investigation into irregular betting patterns concerning a match between Nikolay Davydenko and Martin Vassallo Arguello in August.

Russian ace Davydenko was also fined £1,000 "for a lack of best effort" in a recent loss in St Petersburg.