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Safin slams "guilty" Agassi
Russian believes Agassi should return prize-money and titles
By Rachel Griffiths Last updated: 10th November 2009 
Safin: Criticised Agassi
He feels guilty? So let him just give back his titles, money, his grand slams!
Marat Safin
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Former world number one Marat Safin has suggested Andre Agassi could ease his guilt about his drug-use admissions by handing back his prize-money and titles.
Safin blasted the American following revelations in his autobiography "Open" that he used and tested positive for crystal meth in 1997 but lied to ATP investigators to escape punishment.
Agassi has since claimed remorse over his actions, but Safin believes if he is serious about coming clean he should forfeit the titles and money he won over the course of his long and renowned career.
"He feels guilty? So let him just give back his titles, money, his grand slams!" Safin told the French sports daily L'Equipe.
"If he is so fair play, he should go all the way. You know, ATP have a bank account, he can refund if he wants to."
Motives
Safin, who will retire from the sport after the ongoing Paris Masters tournament, also queried Agassi's motives for admitting his past drug use and expressed concern about the way in which he confessed.
"I won't write my biography. I do not need any money. The question is: why did he do it?" said Safin.
"What's done is done. He hopes to sell more books. But he is completely stupid.
"I do not defend the ATP but what he said put them in a bad position. ATP allowed him to win a lot of tournaments, to make a lot of money.
"They kept his secret so why be so cruel with them? There are times you need to be able to shut up."
It was announced by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) earlier this month that they are investigating whether to lay fresh charges against Agassi.
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Comments (7)
Shuja Ur rehman says...
I think ATP, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) should take the matter seriously and Agassi should be punished for his wrong doings as he himself has admitted his mistakes. Safin has rightly suggested if he(Agassi) is feeling guilty he must return the money and titles to the ATP.
Posted 08:42 11th November 2009
David Crowley says...
What can Agassi have possibly gained from this admission? If he has brought this story into the limelight to help push sales on his autobiography, then it has certainly worked. However, along the way he has damaged his impeccable reputation as a roguish gentleman and also the ATP's. He has waited until the 6 year mandatory period for facing charges has passed which leave WADA and the ATP in a very awkward postion. But can he really be placed into the same category as Ben Johnson, Marion Jones or Dwain Chambers? Probably not. Crystal Meth is seen as a recreational drug and further investigation is needed into whether it had any perfomance enhancing qualities. Agassi was widely regarded as the cleanest striker of a ball ever to walk onto a tennis court. Therefore it seems that he would be the last person you would think needs to take performance enhancing drugs. Unfortunately with the likes of Murray coming out and saying Agassi is still a legend, a bad precedent is being set for the junior players and fans of the game. The best possible outcome is for WADA to increase their liability term and to impose charges onto Agassi. Also, the ATP needs to investigate its procedures for testing positive for prohibited substances. A professional athlete who has been given a very privileged lifestyle should face the consequences of his foolish actions. Unless Agassi is punished retrospectively, then the reputation of tennis will be shaken to its very core and its credibilty questioned for years to come.
Posted 18:06 10th November 2009
Dan Lee says...
Yes Mr Safin, sometimes people need to shut up...so please do so sir! Your asking him to hand back titles and prize money he won whilst completely clean so tell me please what this will achieve? If he were to hand back the money he won whilst playing on those drugs it would not ammount nto hardly anything as the drug, for the final time is NOT PERFORMANCE ENHANCING..its PERFORMANCE DEGRADING....so he shot himself in the foot. He speaks now because maybe he is remorsful or maybe to sell books but what now can be done to punish a retired player for lies...he lied, they choose to accept it and if they were silly enough to do so on awritten letter then more fool them!
Posted 17:43 10th November 2009
Martin Brothers says...
What is Safin's problem, ok Aggassi said it sell books but Meth use certainly isn't going to help you play winning tennis, in fact if a few more pros had taken meth Safin may have won more matches and titles in a largely dissapointing and over rated career. Agassi is a tennis legend and whether he took recreational drugs for some or all of his career is neither here nor there he is still one of the all time greats!
Posted 16:16 10th November 2009
Kate Ward says...
I totally agree with safin, any other sport he would be stripped of his titles, it seems most of the tv tennis commentators are condoning agassi taking drugs, it does not matter when or where, agassi has taken drugs if it was any one of the other tennis players they would have had a field day with them, i could go on on but the upshot is safin is brave enough to say what is right, [fine example to kids, taking drugs seems be excepted in tennis] but only if your name is agassi or perhaps we should put st agassi, obviously it cannot be the money. It may not seem like but i WAS one of the millions who thought he was the best personalities in tennis, who knows what else he might have taken. No! leave safin out of this he is entitled to his opinion and i am sure there are a lot more like him but, we do not want to upset agassi [after all he does a lot of good work for charity ] Harry Enfield sketch i think. Good luck safin it such a shame that there is not more like you.
Posted 12:34 10th November 2009
Steven Kirk says...
Andre Aggasi was the best showman in tennis. box office the best returner the game has ever seen in his time.1997 he needed help had no one that he could trust to get things out in the open i think he was 120+ in the rankings.so he had a hit of cristomeph looking for a high that he used to get from tennis.tried it thought about it said no way im going down that route. got new people behind him went back to basics fell back in love with the game.and went back to number 1 in the world.now that happend through focus/hard graft/running up the nevada hills. i commend him for being honest.so anyone trying the drug should stop think and say im stronger than tha im not weak im going to do something constructive with my life.and look at aggasi as an icon that he is.
Posted 12:32 10th November 2009
Mark Adams says...
I am tired of this story. He did it for money from book sales. He deserved his titles and money from tennis (Meth just does not help you in any way; especially not concentration) But they must do something to punish him; he tricked the ATP.
Posted 12:23 10th November 2009