Federer disappointed by Agassi drug admission

ZURICH — World number one Roger Federer on Thursday voiced disappointment at Andre Agassi's bombshell admission that he had taken drugs in 1997 and then lied to the ATP to avoid a ban.

"It was a shock when I heard the news. I am disappointed and I hope there are no more such cases in future," Federer said at a sponsors meeting at Kilchberg near Zurich.

But Federer also noted that Agassi "has done a lot for tennis, both as a player and as a human being".

"Today, he raises millions of dollars for his foundation for disadvantaged children," the Swiss commented.

Agassi, one of just six men to have won all four Grand Slam titles and widely regarded as one of the sport's finest players, stunned tennis this week by revealing he'd taken the highly-addictive drug crystal methamphetamine in 1997.

The American, now 39, also admitted that he lied to the governing body of the ATP to escape a ban.

Federer noted that today, players must make themselves available for dope tests between 20 and 30 times a year.

"Our sport must stay clean," he stressed.

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How tennis world reacted to Andre Agassi’s admission of taking crystal meth

Andre Agassi’s autobiography, ‘Open’, has been the talk of tennis since extracts were published in which he admitted to using crystal meth, with Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Boris Becker, Andy Roddick and many others having an opinion.

Rafa Nadal:

“If the ATP covered for Agassi then I think that’s dreadful. If they covered for the player and punished others for doing the same kind of thing then that would seem to me to be a lack of respect for all sportsmen.”

Roger Federer:

“It was a shock when I heard the news. I am disappointed and I hope there are no more such cases in future.”

Darren Cahill (Agassi’s last professional coach):

“[Agassi is] extremely proud of the book and I’m proud of him for giving such an honest and revealing look at his life”.

Boris Becker:

“I’m the last person to throw stones, as there have been some difficult times in my own life, but to hear that he took crystal meth, that certainly puts a whole new light on Andre and it’s not a beautiful light.

“I’m struggling to get my head around why Andre would want to confess to something so damaging as taking drugs and then getting away with it? Why would he want to be so brutally honest?

“I’m really surprised that he would want to discuss such a private part of his life, to talk about such a bad period in his life. I’m sure this will help to sell his book. He doesn’t need the money, though. He’s a rich man.”

Andy Roddick:

“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.

“If anything we (the top players) are subjected to way more testing and attention. That’s just a fact. And, to be fair, when Andre wrote the reported letter (which deceived the authorities), he was well outside the top 100 and widely viewed as on the way out.”

Venus Williams:

“I’m sure his book will sell. But I can’t say anything about Andre Agassi’s life.”

Serena Williams:

“I don’t know what crystal meth is, that’s my reaction,” said the newly-crowned year-end world number one. I haven’t read anything about his book.”

Martina Navratilova:

“Shocking. Not as much shock that he did it as shock he lied about it and didn’t own up to it.

“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.”

Nick Bollettieri (Agassi’s former coach):

“I don’t condone what he did – I’ve made mistakes too, but I’ve done more good than bad.

“Let’s look at what Andre has done, he funds a school for 400 kids from the inner-city. I know underneath he’s a hell of guy.”

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Serena Williams withdraws from next week's Fed Cup Finals

Serena Williams has withdrawn from the U.S. vs. Italy Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Final set to take place November 7-8 in Reggio Calabria, Italy. Williams will be replaced by Vania King. King will be making her sixth appearance on the U.S. Fed Cup team.

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Hussey guides Aussies to 229-5 against India

Sunday, November 01, 2009
NEW DELHI: Michael Hussey top-scored with an unbeaten 81 as Australia posted 229-5 in the third One-day International against India here on Saturday.

Hussey, 34, hit his third half-century of the series and shared 56 runs with captain Ricky Ponting (59) after the world champions won the toss and elected to bat on a slow track at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium.

Opener Shane Watson made up for his disappointing batting in the first two matches, making a fine 41 off 59 balls with five fours in the day-night encounter.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja impressed the most among the bowlers on the tricky track, picking 2-41 off nine overs.

The seven-match series is tied 1-1 after India won the second match at Nagpur by 99 runs. Australia had clinched the opener at Vadodara by four runs.

The visitors were off to a steady start with Ponting — opening the innings in the absence of the injured Tim Paine — putting on 72 runs with Watson off 98 balls.

The Australian captain, taking the opener’s role for only the second time in his 327-match one-day cricket career, completed his 72nd one-day half-century off 74 balls before falling to Jadeja.

Ponting tried to clip the spinner across the line but the ball hit the base of the pads right in front of the stumps. He hit four fours in his measured 92-ball knock.

Hussey, who scored 73 at Vadodara and followed it up with a 53-run knock at Nagpur, accumulated his runs through some hard running between the wickets. He hit just three fours and one six, that too in the 50th over.

India need to score at 4.6 runs an over if they are to win the match and go 2-1 up in the series.

Australia, the top-ranked one-day team, brought in Doug Bollinger and Moises Henriques in place of Ben Hilfenhaus and Shaun Marsh.

India named an unchanged side.

Score board

Australia won toss

Australia

S R Watson st Dhoni b Yuvraj Singh 41

*R T Ponting lbw b Jadeja 59

M E K Hussey not out 81

C L White c Dhoni b Raina 0

A C Voges c Kumar b Harbhajan Singh 17

M C Henriques b Jadeja 12

M G Johnson not out 9

Extras (b4, lb3, w3) 10

Total (5 wickets, 50 overs) 229

To bat: †G A Manou, N M Hauritz, P M Siddle, D E Bollinger

Fall: 1-72, 2-128, 3-129, 4-172, 5-200

Bowling: Kumar 5-1-16-0; Nehra 9-0-51-0 (1w); Sharma 5-0-24-0; Jadeja 9-1-41-2; Harbhajan Singh 10-0-37-1 (2w); Yuvraj Singh 8-0-30-1; Raina 4-0-23-1

ODI debuts: M C Henriques and G A Manou (Australia)

Series: 7-ODI series level 1-1

Umpires: S S Hazare and A M Saheba. TV umpire: S K Tarapore. Match referee: B C Broad (England)

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PFF yet to confirm AFC decision

Sunday, November 01, 2009
By our correspondent

KARACHI: Pakistan football authorities are yet to confirm about the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) decision to move the Under-19 Championship Group D Qualifiers from Lahore to any other country due to security reasons.

“I came to know through a message on the AFC website and tried to contact the secretary of the continental football governing body but he was busy in a meeting,” the secretary of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Col Ahmad Yar Khan Lodhi told ‘The News’ on Saturday.

“It will be confirmed in the next two days,” he said. AFC has invited other participating member associations to host the five-team tournament, penciled in for December 8 to 16, it said. Pakistan was going all out to host the five-nation event in which apart from Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Lebanon were to feature.

“It is yet to be confirmed, but if it has really happened then it is unfortunate as we were preparing with full force,” the PFF Director Operations Pervez Saeed Mir told.

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I am available: Younis Khan

Sunday, November 01, 2009
DUBAI: Pakistan skipper Younis Khan is ready to come out of his retirement from Twenty20 cricket and play in two Twenty20 matches in Dubai on November 12 and 13.

“If team needs me and since matches are to be held in Dubai, it will be nice to play here,” he remarked Saturday in Dubai.

Younis retired from Twenty20 cricket after leading Pakistan to victory in T20 World Cup in June in England. He is not named in Twenty20 squad for Dubai that is being led by Shahid Afridi.

Asked what prompted him to return to T20 cricket, he said: “A lot of people especially many youngsters told me it is important that I continue playing T20 cricket too. If they still want and if my country still needs my service for this form of game, then I am ready. I will do anything for my country and for my teammates. So you may see me in T20 cricket again.”

He had quit as captain following match fixing allegations during Champions Trophy but Pakistan Cricket Board refused to accept his resignation. Younis said about incident: “I have just come out of a huge controversy. This time my whole nation was behind me. I am happy each and every one in Pakistan backed me in the incident. Today my mind is free and I can concentrate on my captaincy and on my form as well as the team.”

He feels New Zealand will not be an easy team to beat despite absence of many of their top players due to injury. “The positive factor about New Zealand is that they play as a team. They do not depend on only one player and that is why they reached final of Champions Trophy despite injuries to their top players. It will be tough competition here,” he said.

It was New Zealand that upset Pakistan’s chances of reaching the final of Champions Trophy by beating them in the semifinal.

On whether this series would be a revenge series for Pakistan, Younis said: “It will not be a revenge series but we have desire in our mind to defeat them. We cannot easily forget defeat to New Zealand in the semifinal.”

On New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori’s remark that Pakistan pacer Mohammad Aamer will be most dangerous man in team, he said: “We have many match winners and not just Mohammed Aamer alone.”

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