Kuznetsova a Star After Doping Allegations

Winning the US Open was one thing, but after riding out false allegations of drug doping, Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova feels she has finally reached the big time.

"I worked for this all my life," she said. "It was a big dream for me. And I was not so famous. Now everybody is coming to my press conference, looking at my practice. It feels totally different. I feel like a star here. This is the funny thing."

Not necessarily funny-good for the introverted Russian.

Kuznetsova returned to the court Wednesday after the WTA Tour said they would not seek action after allegations by a Belgian sports official over drug tests done during an exhibition last December. The Russian tested positive for the stimulant ephedrine, found in over-the-counter cold medicines, that is legal in out-of-competition play.

The reigning US Open champ needed only 40 minutes to savage Marion Bartoli 6-2, 6-0, signing autographs afterwards for a large crowd of clamoring fans.

"I didn't do nothing wrong," said Kuznetsova, who says her posse of parents/agents/etc. are looking into possible legal action against her accuser. "I feel that he shouldn't do this because I think it's worse for him than for me...Tomorrow, I wake up and I say something bad about somebody, I will feel terrible. Definitely he has to pay for it."

Kuznetsova, the quiet, retiring type compared to countrywomen Maria Sharapova and Anastasia Myskina, has done her best to keep the media commotion at bay while marvelling from a distance at the extra attention. After defeating Bartoli she admitted the tennis court is one of her few refuges.

"While I was on the court, I was not thinking about this," Kuznetsova said. "Walking off the court, I felt like everything is starting to come back to me."