andre agassi is a DIRTY CHEATING EVIL CHEATING CHEATING DIRTY EVIL CHEATING FILTHY DRUGGY

[METALMAN]

DOHA (Reuters) - Eight-times grand slam winner Andre Agassi left the tennis world in a state of shock on Wednesday when he admitted using the recreational drug crystal meth and lying to men's governing body the ATP to escape a ban.

In his autobiography "Open", the American candidly describes being introduced to the drug in 1997 and the moment when he was informed he had failed a drugs test.

International Tennis Federation (ITF) president Francesco Ricci Bitti said he was "surprised and disappointed" by the revelations and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief John Fahey called on the ATP to "shed light" on the circumstances that allowed Agassi to escape punishment.

In his book, Agassi, now 39, spoke of the moment he took crystal meths, a highly-addictive amphetamine, for the first time when his career was in freefall. He was helped by his drug-user assistant, known as Slim.

"Slim dumps a small pile of powder on the coffee table. He cuts it, snorts it. He cuts it again. I snort some. I ease back on the couch and consider the Rubicon I've crossed," he said.

"There is a moment of regret, followed by vast sadness. Then comes a tidal wave of euphoria that sweeps away every negative thought in my head. I've never felt so alive, so hopeful -- and I've never felt such energy."

REBELLIOUS STREAK

Agassi burst on to the scene in the late 1980s with a maverick streak, long hair and a wacky dress sense that made him an instant hit with a new generation of tennis fans.

He won Wimbledon in 1992, the U.S. Open in 1994 and the Australian Open in 1995.

However, wrist injuries and a loss of form sent his career on to the rocks in 1997 and his world ranking tumbled to 122.

A year later he began a new training regime that sparked an incredible turnaround. After a spell on the second-tier Challenger circuit he shot back up the rankings and in 1999 completed a career grand slam at the French Open.

Agassi, now married to former women's number one Steffi Graf with whom he has two children, ended 1999 atop the rankings after winning the U.S. Open again. He won three more Australian Open titles before a tearful retirement in 2006.

However, had tennis's doping programme been under the WADA code at the time there is little doubt his cover-up of his drug- taking would have failed and his career could have been ruined.

Agassi, in extracts from his book serialised in the Times, remembers receiving a phone call in 1997 from a doctor working for the ATP who informed him that he had failed a drugs test.

"My name, my career, everything is now on the line. Whatever I've achieved, whatever I've worked for, might soon mean nothing. Days later I sit with a legal pad in my lap and write a letter to the ATP. It's filled with lies interwoven with bits of truth," Agassi said.

AGASSI ASHAMED

He said the ATP threw out the case against him after he concocted a story that he had accidentally drunk a soda spiked with crystal meth belonging to Slim.

Agassi's admission that he took drugs casts a shadow over a player widely regarded as one of the greatest ever while it also exposes the ATP's lack of strict doping controls at the time.

"This is a very serious statement which, if reported accurately, is one that is disappointing coming from a role model such as Andre Agassi," Fahey said.

The ITF has been responsible for the ATP Tour's anti-doping programme since 2006 and the women's WTA Tour a year later.

"The ITF is surprised and disappointed by the remarks made by Andre Agassi in his biography admitting substance abuse in 1997," Ricci Bitti said in a statement.

"The events in question occurred before the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was founded in 1999 and during the formative years of anti-doping in tennis when the programme was managed by individual governing bodies."

"The ITF, Grand Slams, ATP and WTA Tour are now unified in their efforts to keep tennis free of drugs. This should not be overshadowed by an incident that took place over 12 years ago."

Agassi said he was not worried about the impact of his revelations.

"I was worried for a moment, but not for long," he told People magazine's website.

"I wore my heart on my sleeve and my emotions were always written on my face. I was actually excited about telling the world the whole story."

(Additional reporting by Simon Evans in Miami

(Editing by Ed Osmond)

source

Shock horror. Never trust a bald man.

[Emperor Fuckshit]

"I wore my heart on my sleeve and my emotions were always written on my face."

Although the latter were sometimes obscured by little patches of white powder. Weird.

[Skummy]

The best bit is that he also stated he didn't enjoy playing tennis. Probably picked the wrong career then.

[Emperor Fuckshit]

The best bit is that he also stated he didn't enjoy playing tennis. Probably picked the wrong career then.

"I thought you spent most of the time just restringing the rackets..."

[IAceI]

I can see it being a problem because it shows possibly how easy it is (or was) to get away with this sort of thing - the tennis world doesn't need another drug scandal.

But fair enough for him being honest with everyone and I think it'd receive much more backlash if it was actually performance enhancing rather than just a recreational thing. The way he climbed back up the rankings and sat at the top of the tennis world doesn't have anything to do with this drug use. And it shouldn't (I hope) tarnish his legacy in anyway because he was a great, great player.

[Skummy]

But he was also a filthy addict who deserves our scorn.

[IAceI]

Fine, *scorns*

[apsham]

I HAVE NEVER WATCHED TENNIS BUT I AM DISGUSTED AND I WILL NEVER WATCH TENNIS AGAIN.

[Thrilla]

Would crystal meth really have improved his tennis playing at all?

[Crybaby Bunting]

I hear he also had sex with children

[NobBe Nobbs]

I hear he left a bag of dog crap on Pete Sampras' doorstep and then set his house on fire

[JStarr]

So, wait, what's this topic about again? The title's not terribly clear.

[Gazz]

So, wait, what's this topic about again? The title's not terribly clear.

Steffi Graf, or as she's known in the book 'Slim'

[Gene Kiniski]

I was listening to this on the radio earlier, and admittedly I don't follow tennis, wouldn't Meth decrease your abilities?