Alize Cornet has had a charge dismissed by a panel ©Getty Images

French tennis player Alize Cornet has had a charge for missing three drug tests in a 12-month period dismissed by an independent tribunal after reporting the buzzer to her apartment was broken.

Cornet was charged in January with the offence after the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme deemed she had failed to make herself available for testing at the time and location she declared for that purpose in her whereabouts filing.

Players must be available for out-of-competition testing for one hour every day under the whereabouts rule.

The 28-year-old also missed tests in November 2016 and July 2017 when a doping control officer arrived at her Cannes apartment.

The French player claimed to have been travelling to the airport to attend competitions and was therefore not present between the one hour window on her form.

A doping control officer did successfully test Cornet in March and October last year, prior to the alleged third missed test.

On that occasion it was claimed the same tester had rung Cornet's apartment buzzer on four occasions, while she also watched the doorway of the apartment.

She attempted to call the player with three minutes left of the one hour window, but this went through to voicemail.

According to the Tribunal, the doping control officer recalled two of three people leaving or entering the apartment during the hour period but did not approach them or ask for access.

The officer was also found to have not pressed buzzers for any other apartment, and she did not hear the buzzer ring when she pressed it four times while trying to reach Cornet.

Cornet said that the buzzer of her apartment was broken and she had asked her father to fix it while she was away.

According to Cornet, she was unaware the buzzer had not been fixed until two days after the missed test, claiming that is when a repairman visited.

It is claimed Cornet did not know she had missed a test for a further five days.

The decision was reached by a majority verdict, with the tribunal stating the decision was not a unanimous one.

Cornet, who has been able to play while the case was ongoing due to contesting the charge, has claimed the resolution is a "huge relief".

"I feel a great joy and a huge relief after hearing about the International Tennis Federation independent tribunal's decision," the world number 37 wrote in a statement.

"I'm happy that my explanations were heard and understood during the hearing, leading to the cancellation of my third no show.

"The wait from these last six months was a true nightmare for my family and I, and knowing that I will be able to keep doing what I love fills me with an extraordinary energy.

"I would like to thank my lawyers for their work, my sponsors, my family, my partners and my friends for their unfailing support.

"It feels like my second career is about to start, I will enjoy every moment of it.

"And of course a big thanks to those who have always believed in me.

"See you very soon on the courts."