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TENNIS

French Federation extends Paire suspension, lilts ban on top women

The French Tennis Federation (FFT) has decided to extend Benoit Paire's suspension until the end of February 2017 for "damaging" the organisation's image by his behaviour at the Rio Olympics.

Kristina Mladenovic of France returns a shot against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia at the US open.
Kristina Mladenovic of France returns a shot against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia at the US open. Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
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A ban on France's top two women tennis players Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Garcia for their behaviour at the Rio Olympics was however lifted by the FTT on Saturday.

The three players had been provisionally suspended by the FFT following their "unacceptable" behaviour at the Rio Games last month.

Garcia, the French number one, and Mladenovic, the number two, are now free to compete in the Fed Cup final against the Czech Republic on November 12-13 in Strasbourg.

Mladenovic was accused of publicly criticising the federation following her and Garcia's defeat in the Olympic doubles tournament. The pair are the reigning French Open doubles champions.

They were both sanctioned for criticising the organisation following a mix-up over their clothing in a first-round women's doubles loss at the Games.

Mladenovic said in a tweet the federation failed to tell the players about tournament rules whereby they had to wear the same colours on court, forcing Garcia into a last-minute change of kit borrowed from her teammate.

The federation said in a statement they had taken into account the "regret expressed" by Mladenovic and Garcia for their "comments pronounced in the wake of a terrible disappointment and frustration".

The federation accepted "in a general manner it's share of responsibility for the problems at the Rio Games", but refused to clear Paire.

Paire was kicked out of his country's Olympic team for spending too much time away from the athletes' village.

The suspension means he cannot be selected in the French Davis Cup team and will not benefit from the federation's help.

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