GENEVA, Switzerland (AP) — French tennis player Richard Gasquet was cleared of any wrongdoing yesterday when a sports court accepted his claim that he tested positive for cocaine by kissing a woman in a nightclub.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne dismissed appeals by the World Anti-Doping Agency and International Tennis Federation, which wanted Gasquet banned for up to two years.

“I’m absolutely relieved. This is the end of a crazy story,” Gasquet said. “I’m happy to be 100 per cent cleared.”

The court accepted Gasquet’s claim that he inadvertently consumed cocaine by kissing the woman in a Miami club hours after withdrawing injured from a tournament in March.

“It was impossible for the player, even when exercising the utmost caution, to know that in kissing a woman who he had met in a totally unsuspicious environment, he could be contaminated with cocaine,” the court said in a statement.

A CAS panel of three lawyers said the quantity of the drug in Gasquet’s urine test was “minute” and the 23-year-old Frenchman was “clearly not a regular cocaine user”.

“The possibility of contamination became the most plausible explanation,” CAS said.

Gasquet’s coach, Eric Deblicker, told the Eurosport website that the case had been hard on the French player over the last few weeks.

“This is a huge relief, mostly for Richard and for the people close to him,” Deblicker said. “The most important thing now is to see him enjoying on the court.”

Deblicker also said Gasquet will play at the Brisbane and Sydney tournaments as part of his preparation for the Australian Open.

The verdict was greeted with dismay by WADA and the ITF, the sport’s world governing body.

“WADA considered that the evidence warranted full and total scrutiny,” director general David Howman said in a statement. “WADA abides by the CAS ruling and has no further comment at this stage.”

ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti said the federation was “disappointed” with the court’s ruling.

“The ITF also recognises the potential implications of the CAS decision with respect to future decisions and will discuss these with WADA,” he said.

The 23-year-old Gasquet served a 2 1/2-month suspension before an independent ITF tribunal cleared him to resume his career in July.

It ruled he was not to blame because the woman — identified only as “Pamela” — contaminated him with cocaine hours before the drug test.

CAS said that ban should not count as a doping offence on Gasquet’s record, even though he had not appealed against it.

Athletes who commit two doping offences face a life ban from their sport.