The ATP tour is highly regarded in the sports world for having the toughest anti-doping policies in all of professional sports.

 

Yes, you read that sentence above correctly, tennis has the toughest anti-doping policies. I know what you might be thinking, “tennis…really? Why isn’t the NBA, NFL or MLB holder of the toughest anti-doping policy?”

 

The following will give you a little insight into just how tough the policy is in tennis, and how it might be too much in my opinion...these are straight from the ITF Rule Book

 

“Any player who enters and participates in a competition, event or activity organized sanctioned or recognized by the ITF or who has an ATP Tour or a WTA Tour ranking (a “player”) shall be bound by and shall comply with all of the provisions of this program, including making himself or herself available for testing both In-Competition and Out-of-Competition.”

 

If you play the game, or are associated by anyway, you comply or you go home. No if’s and’s or but’s comply or go home.

“Any coach, trainer, manager, agent, Covered Events staff, official or medical or para-medical personnel working with or treating a player is bound by and shall comply with this programs”

 

Ball boys, ball girls..yeah you have to give samples if they choose to and the trainer who comes out to massage a player if they call for a trainer? Yes they have to comply too.

 

All players must make sure that all of his/her “people” are aware of the rules of this program and that anything the player ingests, or medical treatment given, doesn’t break the rules.

“It is each player’s personal duty to ensure that no prohibited substances enters his or her body.  A player is responsible for any prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers found to be present in his or her specimen.”

A bit off-topic, but the perfect example for this is San Diego Chargers defensive end Shawn Merriman, who is a pro bowler and was named NFL’s defensive player of the year. If you didn’t know Merriman is well known for making a huge travesty about the NFL’s anti-doping policies, yet Merriman submitted two samples that both tested positive for a banned substance, and he was only suspended for four games.

 

Richard Gasquet on the other hand, was banned until investigation was complete for having cocaine in his system that was found during a random test at the 2009 Sony Ericsson Open. After investigation it was found that Gasquet had it ingested in his system through physical contact with another woman. In that time he missed the French Open and Wimbledon, two of the four slams played each year.

 

 

“It is the sole responsibility of each player to ensure that the ITF is able to communicate with him or her efficiently and reliably in relation to matters arising under this program.”

 

The player is responsible for making sure the ITF can get a hold of them at any time for any reason. This is in the book for the following rule…this one I believe is a bit much, but I can understand why it is there.

 

“All players shall be subjected to Out-of-Competition testing under this program”

 

This also includes a No-Advanced Notice of Out-of-Competition testing at any time and place.

 

Is that a bit much? Just ask Andy Murray, who was asked to be tested at 7am during the US Open, and he had no choice but to comply see the article here (www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/andymurray/6106682/US-Open-Britains-Andy-Murray-frustrated-by-intrusive-tennis-drug-testing-protocol.html)

 

7am? Really, I think it’s great that the ITF doesn’t give notice, but this is during competition (a slam at that) and at 7am for a player who’s trying to rest for their upcoming match? I think the biggest flaw is the time that they test players. Out of competition is ok at any time…but in competition they should be a bit more reasonable with the timing they test their players.

 

 

This policy just puts any policy that the NBA/MLB/NFL have to shame.

 

Any Union suit who doesn’t want to adopt this kind of policy isn’t really trying to protect their clean players.

 

Thoughts, opinions..do you think the ITF policy is overkill? Is it good?...

What's NEXT?

WHAT IS ITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Aside from tennis I like to post about other things that interest me in life, that's why I got this blog space! wee... one thing that interests me is movies..and here's one of my favorite clips of all time..even after fourteen years..it still cracks me up..Everytime..

I give you..Hans Skitzvelvert


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF0loAfrvp0

Flipping around through the Tennis Week blogs I found an interesting read... I edited for length!


Nadal Will Never Win a Career Grandslam by Redhead and Tommyboy

Nadal has been crushed the last two times he faced hard-hitting, tall opponents in Juan Martin Del Potro at the US Open Semifinals, and just recently Marin Cilic at the China Open.

It's one thing for Nadal to lose, but when he loses 1 and 3 like he did to Cilic then you have to doubt he'll ever, ever win the US Open, where the courts are very fast. Nadal doesn't hit through the ball enough, and he's clearly lost a step in mobility and his serve isn't a weapon that has to be reckoned with.

On the slower courts of the Australian Open which is at the beginning of the season when he's not worn down from globe-trekking during the season Nadal will always be a huge threat. But on the fast hard and indoor courts, Nadal doesn't have what it takes to get the 'W'...

I think Nadal is a great player on all other surfaces don't get me wrong, he's the modern day king of clay, and a definate force to be reckoned with on Grass. But if he wants a shot at contending to win the US Open and other tournaments played on faster hardcourts and indoors he's gotta fix his serve, he needs to drop his elbow more below shoulder level on the wind-up, and please stop running around the backhand to hit a forehand, work on your backhand, and stop leaving yourself open like that Rafa!!!

But other contenders have other weaknesses as well.

Roddick/Federer-Getting older..but Fed is still in the top three.

Djokovic/Soderling-Gotta improve their footwork, they move poorly.

Cilic/Murray-Their forehands plain stink.
 
Del Potro-Not a five-peat in the making.

Rafa's serve and strategy are easily fixible, so I wouldn't rule him out completely.

Thoughts?

Andy Roddick has made an impassioned plea for the leadership of the ATP World Tour, be it the executives such as Adam Helfant or the Players Council’s leading triumvirate of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, to finally the address the punishing length of the tournament calendar...and after pulling out of the Shanghai Masters Tournament Roddick is speaking a bit louder..

Roddick is insistent the rank and file of the playing fraternity feel the same as he does; that the tour is getting longer rather than shorter with each year that passes and therefore causing a growing number of injuries.  And his language on the subject was so strong that the dreaded word ‘strike’ even entered his thinking.

“That is the last thing that anyone wants to do but you get pushed against a wall,” said the American who is this week contesting the Shanghai Masters 1000. “I don’t think any of us wants to do that, because even more so than feeling a responsibility to the powers that be in tennis, we feel a responsibility to the fans and we don’t want to alienate them. I think that’s why we’ve put up with it as long as we have.”

Roddick is mindful that the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour is working hard to make their calendar more player friendly. The ladies can take it easy from November 2 onwards, giving them almost two months to rest before the new campaign starts in Australia in January. But the men will go on for a further three weeks, with the Davis Cup final between Spain and the Czech Republic beyond that in December.

He continued “"It's ridiculous that you have a professional sport that doesn't have a legitimate off-season to rest, get healthy, and then train. I just feel sooner or later that common sense has to prevail.

"I can tell you that six weeks is simply not enough time to recover from the excesses of a season. We played almost 11 months, we have a solid block of mandated events, we have to play four of the 500 [the number of ranking points on offer] tournaments, the demands are getting harder.

“Heck, I’d just like a couple of weeks in a year when I could overdose on burritos, but I have to watch what I do probably more closely than most players, I train like a dog and when I’m out there, I kill myself to win.”

Your thoughts? He's not alone, Rafael Nadal also agrees,
"It's impossible to play from January 1 to December 5, no sport can do it," said Nadal, who will be part of Spain’s Davis Cup team when the final is played in Barcelona in December. "I don't know what the solution is, but it must be changed and soon."


Thoughts?


*UPDATE 10/14*

Juan Martin Del Potro has withdrawn from the Shanghai Open citing tendinitis in his right wrist as the reason for his withdrawl from the tournament.

"I'm a little sorry," Del Potro said. "It's a big tournament here in Shanghai, very important for me. But if I want to have a good finish this season, I have to recover, go home to be in good shape for the last tournaments."

In addition, 15th seed Tommy Haas withdrew after dropping the first set to Rainer Schuettler 6-4, citing a right shoulder injury as his reason for withdrawl.

Could these two withdrawls make the ATP see that the players do need an extrened off season?????

Thoughts..


*UPDATE 10/15*

 

Gael Monfils and Stanislas Wawrinka have withdrawn from the China Open, making them the 6th and 7th casualties to drop from the ATP 1000 level tournament...

Is the ATP taking heed to this that 6 of the 7 players to drop out of the tournament are in the ATP top 20? (Wawrinka cuts it close at #22)

I'm a big fan of Ana Ivanovic.. everyone that knows me knows it, she can play, and she's a top notch person on and off the court, and she's cute to boot =)

But 2009 just hasn't been the year for her, slipping from #11 to #14 Ana finally called it a season and withdrew from the China Open citing a respiratory infection and ending her 2009 season.

 

Fans of Ivanovic were greeted with a heartfelt letter on Ana's official site.

"Instead of being patient and accepting that my best form was almost impossible due to physical limitations, I was always over-thinking things, and I never dealt with it very well. The season was a continuation of going from one disappointment to another. If I had dealt better with these setbacks, I would have had a lot more success.

I also found it very tough to switch off and have a proper break over the past year or so, partly because of these physical problems. Actually, I don't think I can remember the last time I had a proper holiday: I was always doing some kind of fitness or recovery work during my holidays, and that meant that I wasn't able to switch off from tennis. I guess I just want it so badly."

I for one, am glad Ana decided to shut down early to recover, I hope she's off somewhere at some undisclosed location like you see at the end of movies after the hero saves the day, it's sunny, clear blue water, and relaxing, because she needs it. I'm sure most fans of Ivanovic are glad she decided to shut it down early this year to recover from her rather minute injuries that held her back from playing to her fullest potential, it got so bad during the course of the season she even had to change the way she served, which took away from the intensity and power that it once had.

"Despite my disappointments there is not a single doubt in my mind that I will reach the top again and win Grand Slams."

I along with the rest of your fans will be waiting! To the top again!
 

Federer.




Federer..




Federer...




Federer.....


The name that's been missing from ATP tour announcers for the past month. Where's the world #1 been you ask? Of course resting at home in Switzerland with his new family, where else would he be?

Though, like rumors speculate that Roger will forego the Paris Masters and Tour Championships in London that somesort of sanctioning from the ATP can and more than likely will arise unless Roger can prove he was actually injured.

I'm guessing the Australian Open crown in 2010 is his top priority, after losing the 2009 final to Nadal and the 2008 Semi-Finals to Djokovic I can understand why Federer would be thinking this way.

 

 

But skipping the tour finals? That's a bit much I think, the Paris Masters I can understand, but I don't want to see Roger have to pay up because he wanted to stay home with his new family and decides to forego the Tour Championships as well.


Thoughts? Comments? Let's hear 'em.

Jelena Jankovic is one of several players to question the rules introduced for the 2009 season that, although proving a shorter season, insisted the best 10 players compete at the top tournaments, while restricting them from playing lesser events if they want to.

“We have a longer off-season which is good for our recovery and to have enough time to train again and prepare for the next season,” she said. “But the only thing for me personally is that, you know, we have less tournaments and all of that. But for example, if you didn't play well in one tournament, and you lost early, you're not allowed to play the next (International Series) one. You feel like you're just training. You want to compete. That is for me something that, if you're doing well, you don't need to play the next one. But in case you didn't do well, we don't have players in the top 10 that have a chance to play the next event and get some matches in.

“As well, was a little bit hard at the end of the year, like now, we were competing for the Masters.  My only chance was in Moscow, which some of the other players, a couple other players who had a chance to make it to the Masters, they could play Linz, Osaka. They had many other opportunities to get a few points where I had only one. So it also sometimes can be a disadvantage for a top-10 players like me who hasn't done so well during the year.”

Edit: Since I have them all I'll do a complete analysis of ONE BLX racquet per day for you guys.

 The wait is over, BLX will be out in January 2010 for all fans of Wilson racquets to purchase.


What is BLX?

A survey of over 600 tennis players revealed a common interest to Wilson, 90% of them wanted a racquet with the right feel, and felt right. So Wilson set out to create a line of racquets that would meet player's demands...

Feel-Impact information transferred into the players hand

Feel determines the ability to sense the ball coming off the string bed and better control the shot, and this is what connects the ball, racquet, and player's hand together.

Technology, Material, and Design are all combined in one to bring you the ultimate feel. BLX


Basalt

Wilson introduces a new material into their highly respected line: Basalt. Basalt is a natural volcanic rock used in manufacturing and made into fine and ultra fine gold fibers. Basalt fibers are enviornmentally friendly and superior to other fibers in terms of thermal stability, sound insluation, vibration assistance and durability.

With the new BLX line, Basalt fibers are woven longitudinally with the innovating [K]arophite Black to create the most advanced composite ever in the industry. Players will find the ultimate in frequency reduction while retaining the performance of carbon fiber in terms of lightness, responsiveness, stability and ridgitiy.

Basalt added into Wilson racquets filters out unwanted frequencies (i.e vibrations) that reach the hand to deliver a clean feedback and sensation for the perfect feel players demand!

9 elements of BLX

The BLX line incorporates 9 variables into their racquets.

Frame Technology

Triad technology incorporates Isozorb to seperate the hoop and handle for Maximum Comfort.

FX technology incorporates a quad shaft design for 23% increased torsional stability on off-center hits.

Linear Geometry provides an overall 35% stability increase compared to a classic beam construction

Grommet Designs

Wilson is going to use 3 different grommet designs so players can get the ultimate performance out of their Wilson BLX racquets.

Classic-Traditional 22 string movement for a classic response players love.

Double Holes-A bigger hole allowing 26 string movement for a 7% bigger sweetspot

AGT- Articulated Grommet Technology allows an extraordinary 76 string movement for the biggest sweetspot ever (+34%)

Grip

3 different grip styles will be available.

Pro Hybrid(1.6mm)- a Leather base will transmit more feel to the player's hand, a firm PU allows for full racquet sensation and thin diameter will allow players to get a complete feel of the racquet.

Performance Hybrid(1.8mm)-A cotton base allows a softer feel than leather yet firmer feel than foam, excellent moisture absorption. A tackified PU gives players a high performance feeling grip, and the medium thickness @ 1.8mm gives all around racquet control.

Comfort Hybrid(2.0mm)-An Air-Cell foam provides the ultimate in comfort, a soft PU gives players a comfortable and tacky feel. The thick diameter gives players the ultimate cushioning.

With this new line, which BLX racquet is right for me?

Wilson has associated each racquet category with the elements of Fire, Water, and Air to give players a better understanding of their racquet choices.

Fire (Player)-Passion, Heat, and precision.
Water (All Around)-Fluid, versatile, and balanced.
Air (Game Improvement)-Light and maneuverable

Racquet colors are inspired from its element (i.e. water=blue) a common Gold color represent Basalt and Feel.

So what racquet goes where?

Fire Category
-Six One Tour BLX
-Six One 95 BLX
-Six One Team BLX
-Six One Lite BLX
-Pro Tour BLX
-Pro Open BLX
-Pro Team BLX

*Pro Hybrid Grip

Water Category
-Tour BLX
-Tidal Wave BLX
-Coral Wave BLX
-Surge BLX

*Performance Hybrid Grip

Air Category
-Cirrus One BLX
-Khamsin Five BLX 108
-Khamsin Five BLX 98

*Comfort Hybrid Grip

Category Breakdown

Fire: For players who demand maximum feeback at ball contact to sense the sweet spot and flex for ultimate precision
-Precise
-Responsive
-Consistant

Air: A comfortable touch of the racquet in the player's hand and smooth sensation during impact
-Comfortable
-Quiet
-Easy

Water: The ability to appreciate where the ball hit the string with a sense of forgiveness to experience the quality of your shot.
-Accurate
-Forgiving
-Balanced



And of course having the hookup, I had three of them sent to me.. so I give you...

Wilson BLX Tour



Wilson BLX Tour Six One 90



Wilson BLX Surge

A new year brings out the latest generation of Wilson racquets. For the 2010 year Wilson will be releasing the all new BLX line for consumers and touring pros.

And thanks to our friends at Tennis Express, we're able to bring you a full video review of Roger's new frame!



The first frame on my list is of course the frame of #1 ATP player Roger Federer The Wilson BLX 6.1 Tour Tennis Racquet. Composed of Basalt fibers, BLX is the new Wilson racket technology for THE PERFECT FEEL. Offering exceptional control, the Six.One BLX Tour is ideal for players with long and fast strokes, requiring good technique. The addition of BASALT fibers to the graphite matrix filters out the unwanted, extreme frequencies that are uncomfortable and distracting from the pure sensation of the racket to achieve a cleaner feel at ball contact. The Six.One Tour BLX has a 90 square inch headsize, 12.5 strung weight, and low power allowing for thundering ground strokes and serves along with the deft drop shots and volleys.

Comparing it to the previous K 6.1 Tour 90 .. see below, glad Wilson hasn't messed with perfection, but only improved upon it.


K6.1 Tour specs

Head Size: 90 sq. in 
Length: 27 inches
Weight: Strung— 12.5 oz Unstrung — 12 oz
Tension: 50-60 pounds
Balance: 8Pts Head Light
Beam Width: 17mm Flat Beam
Composition: 80% Karophite Black / 20% Kevlar
Flex: 66 
Grip Type: Leather 
String Pattern: 16 Mains / 19 Crosses
Swing Weight: 331
Swing Speed: Fast
Power Level: Low

BLX 6.1 Tour 90 Specs
 
Head Size: 90 sq. in
Length: 27 inches
Weight: Strung: 12.52 oz Unstrung: 12 oz
Tension Range: 50-60lbs
Balance: 9pts Head Light
Beam Width: 17mm Flat Beam
Flex: 65
Grip Type: Leather
String Pattern: 16 Mains/19 Crosses
Swing Weight:326
Swing Speed: Fast
Power Level: Low

You can see that the swing weight has dropped a tad, leans more towards the head light side than the prior model, and is a bit more flexible than the prior K 6.1 Tour. Also it's gained 2/100 of an ounce in heft.

And just for fun here's a photo comparing the 3 prior generations of Fed's racquet to the new BLX 6.1 Tour =D


For the rest of the Wilson BLX previews check out my blog Tennis & Stuff!

  I finally got a review of Roger Federer's new Wilson BLX 6.1 Tour 90 Tennis Racquet