Kournikovas in aircraft row

If Anna Kournikova had shown as much fire on the tennis court as she reportedly did during when told to cage her miniature Doberman pinscher, Genie, on a flight to the Ericsson Open here, she might be still in the tournament trying to win her first singles title in 62 attempts.

Kournikova, defeated by Monica Seles in the fourth round, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0, is estimated to have earned $11m (£7.1m) in endorsements last year. American Airlines were not among the contributors.

Before Flight 901 from Dallas-Fort Worth to Miami took off, with the 18-year-old in first class with her mother, Alla, and the Doberman, Kournikova allegedly opened a dog-carrying cage and removed the dog.

When a flight attendant told her to put the dog back, "she became indignant and questioned the order," according to a report by a Miami police officer, Thomas Grippaldi.

The attendant reported Kournikova to the pilot, Capt Douglas Ebersole, who told Kournikova and her mother that it was a federal regulation that the dog be inside the carrying cage. "They complied with the order," the police report said.

Mid-flight, the report said, Kournikova let Genie out again. When the flight attendant told her to put it back, she "refused... became loud and abusive". She and her mother "began to scream at the flight crew".

Mona Hayes, a flight attendant, told police that the Doberman snapped at her. When the Kournikovas were warned that the police would be called to meet the plane, they "responded they did not care". The Doberman remained uncaged for the rest of he flight.

Miami police and American Airlines officials interviewed the crew and the Kournikovas and mother and daughter said the the allegations were false and that the flight crew was "rude to them".

Police sent the four-page incident report to the FBI and the Federal Aviation Authority. No charges have been filed.