And the ATP is trying their best to dodge the bullet:
"The ATP can confirm it has received a letter from WADA," the tour said in a statement e-mailed to the AP on Monday. "When it responds it will do so directly to WADA and not through the media."
The statement continued, in part: "The ATP would also like to reiterate its policy of not commenting on anti-doping test results unless and until an anti-doping violation has been found."
.... and did the atp find doping violations if the tribunal ruling over decisons until '06 ruled no violation existed?
ReplyDeleteRemember how baseball had saved its list in response to the fed investigation of BALCO? I wonder if the ATP did, or is doing, the same thing in response to WADA. I'm not sure how loyal the management ruling over the ATP now has loyalty to those who managed the ATP earlier.
It only takes one brave soul to find out the answer to your question (or one disgruntled one).
ReplyDeleteI found it funny how Wertheim and others waited a while to post anything regarding the Agassi controversy. The problem is that the only outspoken members of the tennis community that might come out and expose the drug problem are Mac & Martina (and they have their own skeletons).
ReplyDeleteSomeone like Tarango, or someone like him who was pushed aside by tennis, needs to be the one to join the crusade.
I refuse to link to it, but Wertheim's newest article has to show he is in tennis pocket.
ReplyDeleteAndrew Ilie former player has spoken out against doping and raised some points back then but was brushed aside. Other than that, the book by Magnus Norman that was only published in Swedish ...
ReplyDeleteIt´s a shame that Norman´s book "tennis - off the record" is not available in any other language then swedish. It´s a great book and well worth a translation
ReplyDeletehttp://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=4626557
ReplyDelete"Belgian anti-doping tribunal has suspended U.S. Open semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer for one year for allegedly failing to report her whereabouts to anti-doping officials three times."
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/11/05/sports/sports-uk-tennis-doping-wickmayer.html
ReplyDelete"Xavier Malisse has also been suspended for a year for a different doping offence according to the report on the website (www.vtv.be)."
I'm thrilled Wickmayer got the smack down.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if the USTA is being investigated? The national association or federation is always contacted. I know this happened years ago, but I think that has always been standard. but, that is not to say they were told about the Agassi nonsense.
ReplyDeleteI think they are making an example out of Wickmayer. She is young and upcoming and a 1 year suspension would not be so bad as say banning the Williams sisters. Maybe they are under pressure to finally ban someone and show the public they are tough on doping to save their faces.
ReplyDeleteHeidi said...
ReplyDeleteI'm thrilled Wickmayer got the smack down.
Really, why?
Their ban are ridiculous. The same amount of time for incidents of differing severity. And after reports from a week ago stating they will not be punished as they had explained themselves; suddenly putting down a year ban seems rather arbitrary. Considering the circumstances they should have some form of time tariff.
It does not look like a justified, well thought out punishment.
I agree. Though I do suspect Wickmayer, I really think they need a scapegoat to make an example of after Agassi's Buch just for WADA/ITF/WTA to say that they really are enforcing rules. Why Wickmayer and not the Williams sistters? Why is there no ruling on Serena's roid rage and threats to the line judge? I don't think she'll be punished. Sad that the rules are made to fit the star power of the tennis players...
ReplyDeleteWhy the sympathy? Three missing whereabouts is her problem.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't ban for that, they can dope till the eyeballs and there's no way for the testers to catch them.
4:30AM: I agree that most likely, it's in retaliation for Agassi. Still, it's good they did crack down. She is not a scapegoat since her suspension is in line with what is in the rule books.
ReplyDeleteperhaps scapegoat is the wrong word. maybe they are making an example out of her to show the public they do crack down on the rule breakers. sounds as if they want to now try and cover their tails. still waiting for a verdict on Serena's road rage at the open.
ReplyDeleteXavier Malisse used to date Capriate. Birds of a feather?
ReplyDeleteRe: Wertheim not reporting this story.
ReplyDeleteI got this info from reading tennisworld:
He wrote the recent book about Wimby 08 starring Nadal and Fed.
Originally he was gonna write a Fed book then changed after Wimby to include nadal.
I have not read the book, but I heard the STAR of the book is actually the noted philosopher Uncle Toni Nadal.
If this is true and we on this board all think nadal and nadal guilty as he**, Wertheim would have a lot of 'splaining to do about his complete lack of suspicion of and admiration of those two Spaniards.
Gasquet's case to be heard again as WADA and ITF push for 2 year ban!
ReplyDeleteSounds like now they are rushing to show they actually are tough on doping. Wonder if more cases will come to light or if Gasquet and Wickmayer will be used to set an example ...
This isn't new. They appealed when the sentence was handed down. They said it was too lenient. I think the CAS is due to rule this month. Which would explain Nadal's little outburst against Agassi. This will affect his buddy Gasquet.
ReplyDeleteHopefully the domino stones will start to fall...
ReplyDeleteDecent Bodo article.
ReplyDeletehttp://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4628574&name=bodo_peter