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October 31, 2009

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Home » Sports » Tennis

Federer, Nadal upset by Agassi claims

October 31, 2009, Saturday | Print Edition

ROGER Federer and Rafael Nadal both voiced their displeasure at Andre Agassi after the former world No. 1 revealed he took the recreational drug crystal meth in 1997 and lied about the reasons for a positive test.

"To me it seems terrible," world No. 2 Nadal said at an awards ceremony in Madrid on Thursday. "Why is he saying this now that he has retired?

"It's a way of damaging the sport that makes no sense.

"I believe our sport is clean and I am the first one that wants that. Cheaters must be punished and if Agassi was a cheater during his career he should have been punished."

World No. 1 Roger Federer, who beat Agassi in the final of the 2005 US Open, also spoke of his sadness at the eight-time major winner's admission in his new autobiography "Open".

"It was a shock when I heard the news," the Swiss said at a sponsors meeting at Kilchberg near Zurich.

"I am disappointed and I hope there are no more such cases in future... Our sport must stay clean."

However, Agassi found support at home with fellow American and Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick saying the 39-year-old remained his hero despite the revelations.

Remained unfazed

Roddick, the leading US men's player who lost to Federer in this year's Wimbledon final, remained unfazed by Agassi's admissions.

"Andre is and always will be my idol. I will judge him on how he has treated me and how he has changed the world for (the) better," Roddick wrote on his Twitter page.

Two other grand slam champions, Martina Navratilova and Marat Safin, said Agassi should have owned up to the positive drug test when it happened 12 years ago.

"Shocking," Navratilova said from Sarasota, Florida, in a phone interview. "Not as much shock that he did it as shock he lied about it and didn't own up to it. He owned up to it (in the book), but it doesn't help now.

"Andre lied and got away with it. You can't correct that now. Do you take away a title he wouldn't have won if he had been suspended? He beat some people when he should have been suspended."

Safin said Agassi should have spoken up at the time of the positive test or kept his mouth shut.

"One should know how to be silent, but if you are so smart you should have spoken up earlier," the Russian said of Agassi after reaching the St Petersburg Open last eight. "You will never live to see such revelations from me."



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