It is alright to have pity on him, yes? Goodness, was he practicing at all or was he to sick form the case to practice well because I heard he was practicing. Nadal will own him if that is the case, and I was thinking it should be a fun match.

I read this article on The Bleacher Report............my reaction......What?????????????



Rafael Nadal to Face Richard Gasquet in First Round of U.S. Open

by Aaron Kumar (Contributor) Written on August 28, 2009
Aaron Kumar

Former world No. 1 Rafael Nadal has been handed a tricky first-round encounter at the U.S. Open, as the Spaniard will take on Frenchman Richard Gasquet in his opening match at Flushing Meadows.

Gasquet will be playing his first competitive match since being ruled out due to a ban for cocaine.

Nadal, on the other hand, will be playing in only his third tournament of the year, as a knee injury prevented the world No. 3 from defending his titles at Queens and Wimbledon.

After winning this year's Australian Open in January, Nadal had appeared on course to dominate men's tennis. However, the knee injury forced Nadal onto the sidelines, while Roger Federer reclaimed his No. 1 crown.

Nadal has a chance to end the year the way it started by winning the one Grand Slam to elude him: The U.S. Open. And should he do so, Nadal would become only the sixth man in the Open era to complete the career Grand Slam.

Given the determination and courage that Nadal has shown throughout the course of his career, it would take a brave person to bet against the Spaniard.

So....Nadal's only played in 3 tournaments this year? Interesting, since he's won more than 3.

cheryl, it appears that some people just get paid for old rope. How can this person be paid to comment as an expert when he is not in possession of the facts, and does not even seem to have any nouse for the sport.

Cheryl, appreciate your update here on Gasquet but that is one sad story.

just shaking my head here in disbelief.

I hope the 'appeal' fails, I mean, if the evidence and findings ( hair samples tell a history ) why must they pursue an appeal? What is the point?

Hungry Lawyers?

The Telegraph UK had an article on Andy Murray and his WADA woes last week. The testing rules sound really over the top and I was wondering if Murray was exaggerating a tad when describing how they woke him in a NYC hotel at wanted a surprise sample at 7 am. Other complaints from Murray included: reporting whereabouts for EVERY day, even on the drive from Montreal, grabbing him as soon as he walked off the court after losing to Federer. He simply wanted a few minutes alone!

and there was more. I think everyone agrees that testing is necessary but if Andy's description is true, it all seems excessive and over the top, especially now, considering the case being appealed, carried on against Gasquet.

Is there a reason for the torture, a real need for WADA to 'turn the screws' like this?

zoey, from what I have gleaned from several articles about the 'notifying of their whereabouts', most of the players choose an early morning time at tourneys because it is the only time they are sure they are there in the hotel (usually sleeping).

As a former COC drug tester, showing up at the hotel and having to wake them up (because it's early) is part and parcel of random drug testing. I've never agreed with the notifying bit. Also 5 minutes alone would not have affected the test outcome (but he would have been watched). But aren't they tested anyway at the tourneys themselves??

I think WADA is grasping at straws now to prove their way works to weed out drug users. I think they wanted Reeshard as the example and that fell thru.

May be exposing self to ridicule here, but have to ask, FFT. Do you mean to say, 'you' are a former tester? And does the the acronym COC stand for 'code of conduct' , the video game- lol, or what ??

thanks.

Quote from Reeshard about Rafa:
"Rafa has been by far the most kind towards me during the affair. He spoke some utterly friendly words. Furthermore, he's an exceptional champion. If you combine those two elements with my current game level, you really do say to yourself that the draw could have been better...Physically, I'm feeling the consequences of having had to stop for a number of long weeks. I expect that I'll be suffering. And, on top of it, this will be seen directly on centre court, that's really unlucky."

http://www.welovetennis.fr/us-open/1460 ... s-en-baver

zoey, COC stands for Chain Of Custody. (means it will stand up in court if need be) Yes, I am a former tester for pre-employment, randoms, for cause, workmens comp claims, etc...
I collected the tests and someone else actually ran the tests on the sample.

My heart goes out to him. thx for that link , fft.

Cool....you oughta know a thing or two about the subject and have a lot of interesting stories / experiences.

Has the testing expanded to include hair analysis more? Seems like a short cut but I may be watching too much "Forensic Files!"

Testing is expanding to include more hair testing but it isn't across the board for all testing. Urine is still the preferred sample, not blood. What gets most people nailed is marijuana since it stays in your body for up to 30 days. I worked in a hospital so was lucky to have good security (people who know they're losing their job cuz of a drug test can get angry), but I've been bribed and threatened and even had people threaten to kill themselves. Was actually one part of my job that I really didn't enjoy!

wow. Challenging occupation dealing with some truly desperate.

I just wish the best for Gasquet. He is such a talent. I hope he can put the unfortunate chapter of his life behind, get on with tennis, focus, and not have this drag on and on. Be more selective about who he kisses?

"the draw could have been better..." Yep, you can say that again, Richie. Poor little fella. :(

I hope this whole incident doesn't put him off his tennis permanently.

I've never gotten the impression that Richie was "on" tennis in the first place. That isn't to say that he wasn't a great player, but I've never had the sense that tennis was something he enjoyed. Of course, I could be wrong....

Well then maybe I should just say I hope he gets his life back together to where he wants it to be--lol (preferably AFTER the match with Rafa).

I just can't imagine Reeshard even taking a set. I mean, he COULD obviously, but he's all out of whack at the moment.

a nice piece:

From The Times September 2, 2009

Richard Gasquet ?will never forget? Rafael Nadal?s supportNeil Harman, Tennis Correspondent New York

The ordeal is not over for Richard Gasquet, but the Frenchman finds fleeting sanctuary back on the tennis court on Wednesday ? the one place where he has really been able to be himself.

By one of those quirks in which grand-slam tournaments specialise, the 23-year-old meets Rafael Nadal in the first round of the US Open. It is a match of piquancy because the Spaniard spoke up loudest when traces of cocaine were discovered in Gasquet?s urine sample in Miami in March.

The Frenchman faced a two-year ban and appealed to an independent tribunal, which accepted his version that the drug had been passed to him by kissing a girl in a nightclub and reduced his ban to two months.

It remains one of the oddest of cases and one that is not closed, for the ITF and World Anti-Doping Agency have combined to challenge the propriety of the judgment. Gasquet is free to continue playing, but under heightened scrutiny, and Nadal knows exactly what that is like. Despite his unblemished record, the former world No 1 has often had to defend himself against whispers that his remarkable physical development must have been drug-enhanced.

Nadal has faced more questions than anyone in the build-up to this championship, about the condition of his knees, which caused him to miss defending his Wimbledon title, but he believes that a wrong has been done to Gasquet. ?I talked with him about what happened, he told me he didn?t take anything and I believe him 100 per cent,? Nadal said. ?I have known him a long time.?

It is not as if there have been deafening levels of support for the former French No 1, which he prefers not to dwell upon. ?This is a new start for me,? Gasquet said yesterday. ?Two years of competition on the circuit is less draining than the three months of hell I?ve gone through.

?You have to be a sadomasochist to want to play him [Nadal] at any time, but I?m very motivated. Rafa supported me more than anyone in the last few months and if he ever needs me to help him, I will do what I can. I?ll never forget what he?s done for me. Now I just want to get out and play.?

How Gasquet would love to replicate the flourish of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, his compatriot, on Tuesday. Against a fresh-faced American wild card, Chase Buchanan, the world No 7 dropped three games and is obviously full of beans after his victory over Roger Federer in last month?s Masters event in Montreal. ?I didn?t leave a lot of energy on the court, so it?s a good start for me,? Tsonga said.

Actually this could be a very tricky first round match for Rafa and I think he knows it as he requested the Wednesday start for it. Keep in mind a that Gasquet has one of the best backhands on tour and if he is fit this could be dangerous for Rafa. Also remember that this is played on the one of fastest courts in the world and that top spin forehand Nadal uses so well every ware else will not be quite so effective here and as I already said Gasquet has a very good backhand with which he can easily take care of that. All in all I think that Rafa was not pleased to see his first round opponent to be Gasquet but such is the lack of the draw.

Brenda, where did you hear that Rafa had requested a Wednesday start?

Cheryl - if you read the official tribunal documents, the "kissing incident" took place in a nightclub - not a strip club. It is mentioned that after the concert at the nightclub, "Pamela" wanted to go to another spot & when Richard discovered it was a strip club, he left. The report is available to the public on line.