Navratilova reaction to Agassi: 'He lied'
Posted Oct 30, 2009 11:10 AM
 By STEVEN WINE
(AP)
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MIAMI -Martina Navratilova drew a parallel Thursday between Andre Agassi and Roger Clemens, saying she's shocked the eight-time Grand Slam champion lied about drug use.
Agassi's upcoming autobiography contains an admission he used crystal meth in 1997 and failed a drug test — a result he says was thrown out after he lied by saying he "unwittingly" took the substance.
"Shocking," Navratilova said Thursday from Sarasota, Fla., in a phone interview. "Not as much shock that he did it as shock he lied about it and didn't own up to it. He's up there with Roger Clemens, as far as I'm concerned. He owned up to it (in the book), but it doesn't help now."
Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner, repeatedly has denied using performance-enchancing drugs. His former personal trainer, Brian McNamee, claimed in the Mitchell Report that he injected Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone at least 16 times in 1998, 2000 and 2001.
According to an excerpt of Agassi's autobiography "Open" published Wednesday in The Times of London, he blamed the positive drug test on accidentally drinking a soda spiked with meth. Agassi wrote that the ATP accepted his explanation and threw out the case.
"Andre lied and got away with it," Navratilova said. "You can't correct that now. Do you take away a title he wouldn't have won if he had been suspended? He beat some people when he should have been suspended."
Navratilova won a record 167 singles titles, including 18 in Grand Slam tournaments. She retired from singles in 1994 and played her last doubles match in 2006.
She said she found Agassi's decision to come out with the story now peculiar.
"How is it going to play out for him? I don't know," she said. "I don't know why he would come out now."
Agassi retired in 2006. His autobiography will go on sale Nov. 9.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
2009-10-30 11:42:12

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COMMENTS ( 5 )
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Mlp7595
12:56PM Oct 31 2009 
Agassi was a complete moron from the first time he stepped on the court and that has continued until this day and will, undoubtedly, continue in the future. He destroyed a classy sport with arrogant, tasteless and self-serving actions, on and off the court, all through his career. Why would anybody expect anything different now. I shut the tennis off any time he was on and when he became the face of tennis, I shut tennis off and have never gone back. I am sure I am not alone and in fact know many others. Agassi began the destuction of tennis as a major sport and Navratilova/King, the loudmouthed lesbians, and the self-centered, loudmouthed and disrespectful Williams sisters have finished it off. It will take many years and some classy champions, if ever, to turn this around. Good luck
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HERSHMI
11:44AM Oct 31 2009 
Who is Martina to place Andre with Clemens! How many times is she going to decide to retire! What Andre and the Williams sisters have brought to the sport of tennis for the U.S. is far greater than drugs, screaming on a court etc. The American people have far more important things to worry about in the World than a few great starts that have made a difference in the lives of so many. I think every one should put all of the negative comments aside and focus on all of the criminals that are causing more damage in the world than a book written by one of the greatest!
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Purple112633
7:56PM Oct 30 2009 
Squiddie are u kidding me. He did not have to own up to this but he is. I'm sure its to sell books. Serena had a very public meltdown on the big stage and did not just harm herself but physically threatend a much smaller woman. Her reaction was over the top because she was losing and could'nt handle it. I guarantee you with Justine Henin coming back and Kim Clijsters who beat Serena badly at the u.s. open, Serena better get used to being the 3rd best player on the planet.
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Squiddie1434
4:29PM Oct 30 2009 
It's not fair for the WTA to try to make up rules for Serena Williams for getting a purposeful questionable call from a line judge and Agassi got a slap on the hand and what about Woziaki pretending to be injured to throw a game. Nothing was ever done to John McEnroe, Jimmy Conners and others when they acted ouy constantly toward the judges!
So is the WTA going to take away Agassi's trophies he won while taking meth.yet you're trying to find ways to crusify Serena!ENOUGH!!!!!!
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Oxcart Running
2:44PM Oct 30 2009 
All these tennis players that all of sudden "walk on water" should git over themselves n that includes Feder and Nadal. So he messed up, so what, look at his life now.
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