Tennis

[Red Rick]

http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/tennis/21930813/___Comeback_Nadal_is_verdacht___.html

According to this guy, 10% of the early matches in tournaments is fixed
Tennis has a big problem

 

[sniper]

http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/tennis/21930813/___Comeback_Nadal_is_verdacht___.html

According to this guy, 10% of the early matches in tournaments is fixed
Tennis has a big problem

toellerers interview was linked previously.
nothing new.
it's a problem of course but he also says that in the slams fixing is unlikely.

 

[Benotti69]

http://tennis.si.com/2013/10/04/novak-djokovic-calls-for-change-in-doping-protocols

"Novak Djokovic has thrown his full support behind his good friend and countryman Viktor Troicki, who is facing an 18-month doping ban after refusing to provide a blood sample at the Monte Carlo Masters in April. Troicki has appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and the case is scheduled to be heard next week in Lausanne, Switzerland."


No surprise.

 

[sublimit]

Still no sign of Cycle Chic posting on this thread?

The boycott continues it seems

 

[zebedee]

I hope those remarks of Djokovic are noted by the CAS tribunal hearing the Troicki case.

It would appear that tennis remains in the dark ages when it comes to anti-doping. When supposedly responsible players show this level of ignorance and naivety, it falls to CAS to remind ATP players that anti-doping procedures apply as equally to them as anyone else.

Troicki may well get his ban increased next week rather than reduced or, as Djokovic is hoping, overturned entirely. If Djokovic and Troicki are anything to go by, ATP players seem to think of themselves as somehow above the rules.

 

[Cycle Chic]

Stosur - Schiavone

Still no sign of Cycle Chic posting on this thread?

The boycott continues it seems

I knew I,d be missed. Noticed a quote from Jankovic on Stosur on THASP site, which led me to this article from June 2010

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/french10/news/story?id=5246231

it describes the sudden rise in ranking and performance of 2 of the most suspicious women tennis players. Stosur and Schiavone.

53½ weeks ago, at Roland Garros' cozy, 259-seat Court 8, Samantha Stosur and Francesca Schiavone played each other in a run-of-the-mill, first-round match at the French Open.

Stosur, then ranked 32nd, beat Schiavone, then ranked 50th, in straight sets.

They'll meet again at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament Saturday. Oh, how the setting and circumstances have changed.

This time around, Stosur vs. Schiavone will be for the French Open championship, in the 14,845-capacity main stadium, broadcast live on TV around the world. In line with the topsy-turvy way this tournament unfolded, it will be the first Grand Slam final for each woman -- only the fifth such double-debut in the 42-year Open era.

On Stosur

Said Stosur's coach, Australia Fed Cup captain David Taylor: "She's a natural athlete. Everyone thinks she spends 10 hours a day in the gym, and a lot of that's just good genetics."

So that's a turn around as they now say she is so muscular because she does spend so much time in the gym.

On Schiavone..

Why did it take Schiavone until now to reach a Grand Slam final, in her 39th try?
And why did it take her until now to make it into the top 10 in the WTA rankings, something she'll do Monday? Schiavone is the oldest player since 1998 to make her debut in the top 10.

 

[Bicycle]

After last week's loss to Djokovic Nadal hammered today by Del Potro.

 

[Red Rick]

After last week's loss to Djokovic Nadal hammered today by Del Potro.

In before he tells the world his knee is starting to trouble again

 

[Cycle Chic]

Shanghai

Anyone see the Djoko - Del Potro match ?

WTF !!! what happened to Djokovic in the 2nd set ????? it was the most bizarre thing - Peter Fleming and Mark Petch, who were commentating couldn't explain what was going on with Djokovic.

Beginning of the second set Djokovic started stumbling on the court....

Despite a shaky period in the second set, where he kept slipping on the concrete court...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/te...e-set-victory-over-Juan-Martin-del-Potro.html

Suddenly he looked like Bambi...it was like his balance and co-ordination was lost. He was serving and almost falling over, tripping over his feet...and he then bizarrely lost his balance hitting a backhand, leant backwards and went onto his tip toes like a ballet dancer.

Peter Fleming said he hadn't seen anything like this before...and Petch said maybe Del Potro had spiked his water bottle on the changeover.

The entire match Djoko looked like he was on amphetamines..his eyes were nearly popping out of his head and kept doing the open mouth jaw relaxing technique.

I reckon he was so nervous the way Del Potro beat Nadal that he upped the PED's and they were having weird consequences.

 

[Catwhoorg]

Cilic's ban reduced from nine months to four.

Started May 1, so he can compete again effective immediately.

 

[Briant_Gumble]

Tsonga says "everyone is lying".

And Djokovic gets criticised by this journalist.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-2478649/Jo-Wilfried-Tsonga-Everybody-lies-drugs.html

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Tsonga says "everyone is lying".

And Djokovic gets criticised by this journalist.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-2478649/Jo-Wilfried-Tsonga-Everybody-lies-drugs.html

Tennis is catching up, albeit very slowly.

 

[del1962]

Tsonga says "everyone is lying".

And Djokovic gets criticised by this journalist.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-2478649/Jo-Wilfried-Tsonga-Everybody-lies-drugs.html

Bizarre comments from Djokovic about the anti-doping official

 

[sniper]

Tennis is catching up, albeit very slowly.

Its gonna take years before the wider public (including journos) will open its mind to the possibility that technique sports like tennis and soccer benefit as much from doping as endurance sports like cycling/swimming.

The argument 'but dopingn doesn't give you the skill' really is very tenacious.

 

[martinvickers]

Bizarre comments from Djokovic about the anti-doping official

Very. Don't follow the sport closely enough to have informed views on who is doping or not, but suffice it to say Tsonga's comments are considerably more reassuring than Novak's.

Something inherently believable in the mix of annoyance and confusion - he knows 'something's up, but he's floundering to articulate it because he doesn't have enough data - but it's clear he thinks it very odd that ITF seemed to HELP Cilic keep the positive secret until he was outed.

But of course, Tsonga could be busted in the morning. Until ITF/WTA/ATP get their act together, the doubts will fester.

It's interesting that Nadal's 'superman' recovery this year from serious knee injuries - and indeed the injuries in the first place - don't just attract worship anymore; people raise eyebrows.

 

[martinvickers]

Its gonna take years before the wider public (including journos) will open its mind to the possibility that technique sports like tennis and soccer benefit as much from doping as endurance sports like cycling/swimming.

The argument 'but dopingn doesn't give you the skill' really is very tenacious.

I'm not sure. I do think there's a subtle difference between the edge you get from doping 'pure' power/speed sports, and those involving 'technique'...but that doesn't change the fact that doping will seriously help in ANY sport.

Hell, even caffeine in chess, or beta blockers in snooker.

There's always a physical edge to be gained, where there's a physical talent to compete with.

 

[sniper]

I'm not sure. I do think there's a subtle difference between the edge you get from doping 'pure' power/speed sports, and those involving 'technique'...but that doesn't change the fact that doping will seriously help in ANY sport.

Hell, even caffeine in chess, or beta blockers in snooker.

There's always a physical edge to be gained, where there's a physical talent to compete with.

Agreed.
just saying that (afaict) there still arent that many sportsfans willing to spend brainpower on the idea of (massive) ped-abuse in tennis and/or soccer, and i,m not sure if, or how soon, that mindset is gonna change.

 

[martinvickers]

Agreed.
just saying that (afaict) there still arent that many sportsfans willing to spend brainpower on the idea of (massive) ped-abuse in tennis and/or soccer, and i,m not sure if, or how soon, that mindset is gonna change.

Can't argue with that.

The attitude to drugs in football, tennis, golf (what, steroids won't give you distance? hmmm - not like the PGA was beginning to resemble MLB or anything...) stinks...A three way separation between governance, professional touring and dope control ought to be the future - as it is ITF is terrified of ATP/WTA, just as PGAAmerica and Royal & Ancient won't confront PGATour and EuropeanTour).

I quite like the thought of a WCT - A separate World Cycling tour, managing the professional sport away from the UCI, who continue to run worlds and govern sport - but only if anti-doping is properly separate from both - no point replacing one corrupt monster with another (see FIA and Bernie Eccleston's Formula one circus)

 

[Briant_Gumble]

Bizarre comments from Djokovic about the anti-doping official

Omertaist comments that will bring suspicion on himself to a minority.

Weird time to be making them Murray and Nadal have been Omertaist in the past.

Nadal making up the "kissed a girl" excuse for Gasquet and Murray calling Odensik a "snitch" whilst repeatedly blasting the testing as invasive at every opportunity.

Murrays attitude has changed since the Armstrong affair though and even ****ted on the omertà when he described the testing as "useless" very recently.

 

[martinvickers]

Omertaist comments that will bring suspicion on himself to a minority.

Weird time to be making them Murray and Nadal have been Omertaist in the past.

Nadal making up the "kissed a girl" excuse for Gasquet and Murray calling Odensik a "snitch" whilst repeatedly blasting the testing as invasive at every opportunity.

Murrays attitude has changed since the Armstrong affair though and even ****ted on the omertà when he described the testing as "useless" very recently.

Murray's attitude seemed to change distinctly after the Puerto trial. One might suspect Murray becoming aware the facts of that case, and the way it was handled by the judge (which he specifically called out) led him to conclusions he previously didn't hold...

 

[del1962]

Top 10 excuses for a postiive test

 

[blackcat]

Omertaist comments that will bring suspicion on himself to a minority.

Weird time to be making them Murray and Nadal have been Omertaist in the past.

Nadal making up the "kissed a girl" excuse for Gasquet and Murray calling Odensik a "snitch" whilst repeatedly blasting the testing as invasive at every opportunity.

Murrays attitude has changed since the Armstrong affair though and even ****ted on the omertà when he described the testing as "useless" very recently.

andy roddick really went hard on Wayne-O.

he was a training partner.

but W-Odek never part of the US pros clique(y)

 

[zebedee]

I'm not sure. I do think there's a subtle difference between the edge you get from doping 'pure' power/speed sports, and those involving 'technique'...but that doesn't change the fact that doping will seriously help in ANY sport.

Hell, even caffeine in chess, or beta blockers in snooker.

There's always a physical edge to be gained, where there's a physical talent to compete with.

Doping with EPO would provide massive advantage to a player.

Success in tennis comes more from management of unforced error count rather than winning points through technical brilliance. Long rallies lead to temporary fatigue, hence a player goes for broke when under pressure and in the realisation he can't stay any longer in the rally. In extremis, he hits a point-ending shot which is either a winner or, more usually, an error. Doping with EPO lets you stay in the point for ever. You don't break down and you don't have to go for broke. You can stay behind the ball all day. You just keep going while your opponent has to hit closer and closer to the lines to try and manoeuvre you out of position.

Jim Courier said as much years ago and he ought to know having won the physically-demanding French Open twice.

 

[RownhamHill]

Doping with EPO would provide massive advantage to a player.

Success in tennis comes more from management of unforced error count rather than winning points through technical brilliance. Long rallies lead to temporary fatigue, hence a player goes for broke when under pressure and in the realisation he can't stay any longer in the rally. In extremis, he hits a point-ending shot which is either a winner or, more usually, an error. Doping with EPO lets you stay in the point for ever. You don't break down and you don't have to go for broke. You can stay behind the ball all day. You just keep going while your opponent has to hit closer and closer to the lines to try and manoeuvre you out of position.

Jim Courier said as much years ago and he ought to know having won the physically-demanding French Open twice.

Likewise in football - you can have all the skill and technique in the world, but if you're a yard behind the ball for the whole game, or standing on the halfway line panting because you're so knackered from making a 40 yard sprint just before, there's literally nothing you can do with it.

Take Wayne Rooney as an example - when he's properly fit he's a properly great player. But when he's not 100% you watch him and wonder what all the hype is about - it's not he suddenly 'loses' his technique or skill, it's just that he's behind the play so he's not got the time on the ball, and when he does he's still trying to catch his breath or whatever.

 

[Bicycle]

If sports like football and tennis were just about skill then we'd have champs in their 40s and 50s. Stamina, strength and speed trump everything.