There will be drama
among the women next year.
Sharapova had
a pretty bad year
last season. And drug testing *
is catching more girls.
If the big hitters
have to play without their meds,
Hingis might do well . . .
-----------------------------------------------------
* Bulgarian teenage star Karatantcheva in French Open doping scandal
Bulgarian teenager Sesil Karatantcheva faces a two-year ban for allegedly testing positive for steroids at this year's French Open.
The 16-year-old, ranked 39th in the world, beat Venus Williams on her way to the Roland Garros quarter-finals in her debut in the Grand Slam tournament.
The French sports daily L'Equipe said she tested positive for nandrolone and was called before a three-man International Tennis Federation doping panel in London last week.
"I am shocked. All this is some interpretation of the French, with whom I have never got along," Karatantcheva told the BGNES news agency.
The Bulgarian Tennis Federation also came out with a statement Tuesday backing its best-performing player.
"We had no information until today about any positive doping test for Sesil Karatantcheva...The federation wants to express its support for Sesil, whose excellent performances in the world's biggest tournaments have brought much joy to Bulgarian tennis fans," it said.
"We sincerely hope the French newspaper report will not be confirmed," it added.
The newspaper also claimed that the player explained her failed test on being pregnant at the time it was taken because pregnant women produce greater amounts of nandrolone. [She was 15!] Karatantcheva said she then had a miscarriage.
But a laboratory at Chatenay Malabry in France carried out a pregnancy test on the player's urine sample which returned a negative result, the paper said.
Men's singles runner-up Mariano Puerta, the world number 10, and fellow Argentine doubles specialist Mariano Hood have also allegedly failed drugs tests at the French Open.
No comment can be expected from the ITF which, like the men's governing body the ATP, does not comment on doping cases until all appeals procedures are completed.
Karatantcheva, who learnt English by listening to the Spice Girls, was uprooted from Sofia to Florida when she was 12 to learn her tennis.
She beat Williams, seeded 11th at this year's French Open, 6-3, 1-6, 6-1 when she was still 15.
The Bulgarian, who speaks with a distinct American southern drawl, won the French Open junior title in 2004.
Karatantcheva endured a mixed year of results following her French Open breakthrough.
She was knocked out of Wimbledon in the second round by Maria Sharapova before going on to make the quarter-finals at San Diego.
A second round defeat by Amelie Mauresmo at the US Open was followed by failure to get beyond the round of 16 in her remaining five tournamentsof the year.
Women's tennis is great.
But I swear, for all of tennis, the game would be 100% more entertaining if they only allowed ONE SERVE......... no second serve, you have to get the first one in!
Either that, or raise the net about two inches.
Yes, go ahead ask me why. I think you know the game.
Women's tennis is great.
But I swear, for all of tennis, the game would be 100% more entertaining if they only allowed ONE SERVE......... no second serve, you have to get the first one in!
Either that, or raise the net about two inches.
Yes, go ahead ask me why. I think you know the game.