Former Russian tennis star Chesnokov shot
(AP)
Updated: 2005-11-22 09:25

KIEV, Ukraine - Former Russian tennis star Andrei Chesnokov was shot twice with rubber bullets while leaving a restaurant, authorities said Monday.

He was wounded Sunday and flew back to Moscow on Monday after discharging himself from the hospital, Russia's NTV television channel reported.

"I defended myself as best I could," he told NTV. "I didn't have any weapon, no baseball bat or knife."

The 39-year-old Chesnokov was shot during an argument with his companion and two unidentified men, Interior Ministry spokesman Volodymyr Mulko said. The player was in Dnipropetrovsk, where he was taking part in a tennis tournament.

Police detained one person after Chesnokov gave police the license plate number of the car in which the alleged attackers left the restaurant, Mulko said. The man who was detained said another three people had been in his car.

Chesnokov won seven ATP singles titles and last played on the tour in 1999. He reached the French Open semifinals in 1989 and was ranked as high as No. 9 in 1991.