Tennis Prose




Apr/13

18

The Oddity, Wayne Odesnik

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Wayne Odesnik has arrested my attention here in Sarasota.

I first noticed him late on Sunday afternoon when he ambled over to the outer court presumably to say hi to Jesse Levine who was hitting with his doubles partner Adrian Menendez Maceiras. As he walked away slowly, after a short greeting and conversation, carrying a very aged Babolat bag, seemingly still 1/4 asleep from the four-hour drive from Boca Raton, Wayne told Levine that he didn’t play Houston because he mixed up his schedule and played a Challenger instead.

Odesnik, 27 years old, from South Africa, and ranked 120 right now, won his first round match on an outer court. Then yesterday in the second round he played Cedrik-Marcel Stebe, from Germany on stadium court. I watched some of this match and became intrigued by Odesnik.

Odesnik, who turned pro in 2004 and has a career mark of 41-52 (2-2 this year) is a lefty, bearded, looks almost like a pirate on the court, attired in a mixed bag of black Babolat shoes, no name blue striped shorts, white Under Armour shirt, Fila cap and a white/green/red Lacoste wristband. But unlike his sense of style, Wayne sure can play some ball.

The ATP media guide says clay is his favorite surface. Odesnik can rifle the forehand or play smart, consistent, patient tennis, and his backhand is steady. He’s quick too and has a very muscular upper body, for a tennis player. He won the first set 6-3 over Stebe, who is most famous for beating Lleyton Hewitt in straight sets in Davis Cup in Germany – in the live fifth match, to clinch the tie for Germany. Stebe also told me he was invited by Roger Federer to practice for a week in Dubai not long after that match with Hewitt.

Stebe had a leg injury and dropped outside the top 100 in the rankings and is in Sarasota with his dad, trying to get back up to the ATP level. Stebe, dressed immaculately in adidas with a clean cut hairstyle and headband, is a stark contrast to the image of Odesnik. Stebe edged a competitive second set 6-3 and so they went to a third.

My lasting impression of this match was the changeover area of Odesnik, which was by far the messiest I’ve ever seen… Odesnik’s chair was scattered with three bags, 12 water and Gatorade bottles (Yes, I literally counted 12 bottles after the match – it took three attendants to clean it all up), protein mix containers, towels, two pairs of extra shoes, bananas, and, on top of that, he asked his wife or girlfriend for something and a white plastic supermarket bag was also delivered to him on a break.

On the other side, Stebe, had just one single bag, neatly placed on his bench. A picture of calm and normalcy, unlike the scene just ten yards away.

Even the chair umpire seemed intrigued by Odesnik, as he watched him working curiously, head craned to his right looking down during changeovers. During the breaks Odesnik was always doing something, mixing drinks, taking his cap off and pouring water into his long dark hair, to cool off, leaving the bottles all over the place, some closed, some open, some in the shade, some in the sun.

Stebe took the lead in the final set and was up 4-3 and 40-love but he blew that game and ultimately the match. The final point was a long, furious rally capped off when Odesnik hit an off-pace backhand down the line, Stebe, also a lefty, scrambled to get to it and attempted to send it back up the line to Odesnik’s backhand. But the slower speed of the shot seemed to throw off Stebe and the ball hit the net. Odesnik let out a primal scream of joy. The German bent over in agony…he could not believe he had lost this match.

After a few minutes of picking up all his belongings, Odesnik, the victor, trudged across the court slowly. Impressed, I applauded him from behind the bleacher behind the baseline. It was the only sound in the stadium. Odesnik, heard it and turned his head to acknowledge the source. He smiled and gave a wave of his hand. Just like Roger Federer.

Into the quarters, Odesnik will next face the dangerous dirtballer from Argentina Facundo Arguello. A match I will surely watch on Friday.

And try to figure out just how Odesnik, the son of a jeweler, is able to do it.

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51 comments

  • Scoop Malinowski · April 18, 2013 at 9:19 am

    Another thing I noticed about Odesnik is he yells VAMOS and ALLAIZ. Will do a Biofile with him today, for sure, if he’s there.

  • tootsie · April 18, 2013 at 10:17 am

    If you talk to him, ask him about the clinic in Miami where his name is in the books several times for “treatments”. This is the clinic where the owners are under investigation for their PED “treatments”, where ARod was a regular customer. Ask Odesnik if he knows him. http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/8893139/report-alex-rodriguez-others-miami-clinic-ped-lists

    C’mon Scoop. Odesnik is the sort of guy that the tennis authorities have to get out of the game and he doesn’t need any sympathetic p.r. from you.

  • Dan Markowitz · April 18, 2013 at 10:30 am

    Did Odesnik grow up in So. Africa or the U.S. That HGH debacle with Odesnik was subterranean. First, he’s kicked off the tour and then he’s back.

  • Steve · April 18, 2013 at 10:59 am

    Dan, I thought you were of the school of thought that believed that almost EVERYONE is cheating.

  • Dan markowitz · April 18, 2013 at 11:41 am

    Well, I wouldn’t say that, but Odesnik was caught red-handed and then was pardoned because he apparently was going to name names and nothing seemed to come out of that. I think tennis is a joke in the steroid era. When the biggest names you catch over the past 5 years are Volandri and Odesnik, something’s fishy in Denmark.

  • Steve · April 18, 2013 at 12:37 pm

    Dan, come clean. Who the the top 10 do you truly believe is cheating?

  • Dan Markowitz · April 18, 2013 at 3:01 pm

    Firstly, let me just say this: Scoop is obsessed with the way a guy manages his mess on the sidelines. I remember a couple of years back watching Davydenko play Gasquet in the Grandstands at the USO, and Scoop was monitoring how each player dealt with his stuff. Now it’s Odesnik he finds “fascinating.”

    Steve, I don’t have the testing to “truly believe” anyone is cheating, but if you ask me out of the Top 10 who “I think is cheating,” I’ll tell you.

    1. Nadal–You don’t get biceps like that playing tennis and then there’s the Spain steroid doctor connection and I think Nadal has been ruthless getting to the top.

    2. Djokovic–You don’t go from a guy who can’t deal with fatigue to being an iron man by changing to a “no-gluten” diet. I’m not a nutritionist, but I don’t believe that. And Djoko’s been ruthless getting to the top. If he wasn’t a top player, he’d be a ski instructor somewhere in Switzerland.

    3. Murray–I’m sorry, you don’t get that big from eating kippers, sausage and eggs for breakfast and doing Bikram Yoga. This guy’s done something extra to bulk up.

    4. David Ferrer–C’mon, are you kidding me? You don’t get to be No. 4 at 31 playing this guy’s running game. Plus, he’s Spanish.

    5. Del Po–Do I really have to explain this–he’s an Argentine, with that country’s horrific steroid abuse problem, he’s guilty till proven innocent.

    6. Berdych–See Andy Murray.

    7. Tipsarevic–You don’t train with Djoko and not learn his training secrets. See Andy Pettite and Roger Clemens.

    Now, this is all conjecture, but you asked me my opinion. You want me to go through the Top 100?

  • Steve · April 18, 2013 at 5:02 pm

    Thanks Dan for putting your views out there. On this issue it’s rare to find anyone (except maybe Rochus) to name names.

    I agree with Djoker and Murray. Their performance improvements happened very quickly. I believe Rafa is clean because he was always a beast and was always a force on the court.

  • Scoop Malinowski · April 18, 2013 at 9:08 pm

    I met and Biofiled Wayne today, he came to the club on his off day. He gave me a superb Biofile. He was born in S. Africa and moved here as a kid. Lives in Boca Raton now.

  • Scoop Malinowski · April 18, 2013 at 9:16 pm

    Dan, not obsessed but I do almost always try to observe how the player organizes his chair area. Odesnik holds the title as the king of making a mess, THREE attendants were needed to clean up the area, and it took them a couple of minutes. The photos above were from after the second set when I was in the VIP area, it was even worse at the conclusion of the match.

  • Scoop Malinowski · April 18, 2013 at 9:48 pm

    Notes and observations today: Petr Korda was here with wife and children to accept an award, he was the inspiration for this event, as the tournament director Tony Driscoll stated that it was Korda who suggested to him about five years ago that Longboat Key would be a prime spot to stage an event. Devvarman beat his doubles partner Bozoljac today in straight sets. Tim Smyczek was up a set and 5-3, 30-all and lost the match to Kuznetsov. Smee also had a 3-0 lead in the final set. Tough loss for Smee. Steve Johnson handled Rhyne Williams in the 6:30 match, in straight sets. Jack Sock is still here practicing with Craig Boynton and Johnson and Brad Klahn. Zverev beat James Ward in three sets. Bozoljac and Devvarman won their doubles vs. Stebe/Bogomolov. Ben Becker and Stefano Ianni lost in a suoper tiebreak 10-3 aftera 2-0 lead to Kuznetsov/Zverev. Got to hang out with Becker before the match and he shared some interesting stories about the Agassi match, and the state of German tennis. Also spoke with a stringer here – she said they did 120 in one day. Couple of the players have been hard to work with but I won’t name them.

  • Steve · April 18, 2013 at 10:56 pm

    Yes, Scoop. I find the stringers know all!

  • tootsie · April 19, 2013 at 1:30 am

    “1. Nadal–You don’t get biceps like that playing tennis and then there’s the Spain steroid doctor connection and I think Nadal has been ruthless getting to the top.”

    There is NO steroid doctor connection. For crying out loud, Spain is a big country. By your convoluted logic, everyone in Miami is suspect because there is a doctor and a clinic there dispensing PED’s to athletes so why aren’t Isner and Fish and the Bryans on your ridiculous list. And Rafa’s biceps are big???? That is a stupendously stupid comment to make. Every single tennis player’s serving arm has a big bicep.

  • Steve · April 19, 2013 at 6:13 am

    @tootsie Alert the media, I’m about the defend Dan for once. I asked him his OPINION. He admitted he has no proof. Truth is most of the tennis journos seem to think 95% of tennis players are cheating. There’s only innuendo and anonymous sources and no one goes on record with their views.

    We had a good thread on this once. I suggested that if it truly is so common place that they make it legal under a doctor’s care.

    I believe my fav. players are clean because there’s never been a big bump in their performance over the arc of their careers.

    Blame me on this one. I provoked Dan to give his opinions.

  • Scoop Malinowski · April 19, 2013 at 8:39 am

    Nobody has any proof and I imagine nobody ever will have any proof. Lol. But there’s been a lot of hearsay and words said by people very much inside the loop, you know, “locker room stories,” that kind of make you curious and … naah, let’s just not go there. Some things are better left unsaid. Let’s just talk about the sport. Tennis brings people together, religion and steroids discussions tend to be divisive.

  • tootsie · April 19, 2013 at 10:28 am

    Locker room stories? Like Rochus and his nasty accusations towards Henin or his declarations that Nadal and Djokovic must be doping because they can play five set matches and he can’t? Yeah. Those locker room stories really carry a lot of validity.

  • Dan Markowitz · April 19, 2013 at 1:24 pm

    Tootsie, Tootsie (and by the way I loved you in that movie),

    There’s no Spanish steroid doctor? What’s this then from the Daily Telegraph in London–

    “Cycling’s ‘Doping Doctor’ Eufemiano Fuentes says he worked with ‘football, boxing, tennis and athletics’
    The Spanish doctor accused of masterminding one of sport’s most notorious doping scandals admitted in court on Tuesday that his client list included athletes from “all kinds” of sports.
    Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes has suggested he had clients from other sports.”

    And just who are these clients? Look, again, I am giving you my suspicions, not cold facts, but Nadal came from a part of Spain that is off the beaten track. I know Moya also came from Mayorca, but Nadal never went to academies or to train in Barcelona, so what he did to get such a physique (and please, I know his uncle is big, but what other tennis player has a biceps like Nadal? It used to be bigger when he was younger.)

    You make reference to American dopers–who are you referring to…Izzie, Q-man. Yes, I wouldn’t be shocked if I found out Roddick took steroids and maybe Harry’s on them and that’s what caused his rage that since he’s tried to curb, he can’t beat anybody.

    Never has come that the Miami clinic had a tennis player on its list. This Spanish steroid doctor says he had tennis players on his list. I’d imagine those players are Spanish. There’s been suspicions voiced by Yannick Noah that the Spanish players are doping. None of this proves anything, but I’m certainly more suspicious of Nadal than say, Roger Federer.

    Now Steve, you’ve made the point that you don’t think Nadal is or did juice because there were no big jumps in his career as is true with Djoko and Murray. But it’s pretty well accepted that Alex Rodriguez was probably juicing as a senior in high school and that maybe explains why he was so successful at the pro level at 18. Nadal was winning a slam and 10 tournaments when he was 18 and then 19. He’s never won 10 events in a year since 2005. No player since at age 18 has come close to having that kind of success as Nadal. So are you saying this kid couldn’t have been juicing back then. How come we haven’t seen an 18 year old have anywhere the success Nadal had. For example, Federer, Djoko and Murray won a total of 3 events combined when they were 18. Federer didn’t win an event until he was 20, and he won only one tournament that year, 2001.

    So how come Nadal was built like this man-child already at 18 and was so much better than his vaunted peers in his generation at that age?

  • EddietheEagle · April 19, 2013 at 1:25 pm

    Look at the recent Davis Cup and grand slam record of Spanish tennis players since Fuentes, Del Moral and the other magic doctors came on the scene, then think again.

    Fuentes himself let loose the fact that he was blood doping tennis players, not just cyclists. And just why won’t the Spanish authorities release the evidence to WADA?

    There are pockets of doping across all pro sports and elite Spanish tennis players are prime suspects.

  • tootsie · April 19, 2013 at 2:36 pm

    Dan, I’ll give you credit for a wildly creative imagination. And FYI, yes, tennis players were named as customers of the Miami clinic. Odesnik was identified by name. The others were not. I’m too lazy to look up all the articles about the clinic but google is your friend.

    So…Dr Fuentes is from Spain. He claims he treated tennis players. There are many tennis players in Spain. Nadal is from Spain. Therefore according to your logic Nadal must be doped up. Yikes. So, let’s see. Isner resides in Florida. There is a doping clinic in Florida that has tennis players on their lists. Isner is tall. Ergo…Isner must have taken HGH. Sam Querrey is best friends with Isner. Sam Querry is tall. Therefore, Querry dopes too. See? I can make as much sense as you do.

    And because Rafa was successful when he was 18, he must have doped. Gee, that Boris Becker must have been doped to the gills. He was a big husky kid who won Wimbledon when he was 17.

    Don’t you see how ridiculous you sound?

  • Dan Markowitz · April 19, 2013 at 3:44 pm

    I’m sorry, Odesnik’s name was on the list, but I don’t see any other tennis players’ names on the list. And your explanation about Isner and Querrey is absurd. Come on, Querrey on steroids? The guy lost the final two sets of Davis Cup to Djoko 6-1, 6-0 in his second singles match in three days. If that guy’s taking steroids, he’s going to give whatever steroid he’s taking a bad name.

    And Becker was born 20 years before Nadal. No one in Nadal’s generation won more than two events at age 18. Was he just so much better than these other guys like Djoko, Fed and Murray?

    Also, there are only basically six Spanish tennis players and if Verdasco, Granollers, FLo and Robredo have been taking steroids the past two years, they haven’t been working well at all. That narrows it down a little.

  • Steve · April 19, 2013 at 5:10 pm

    Dan, Nadal once talked about the weights he uses in an interview and anyone who worked out like he did would be strong. Also, it’s not like Nadal is body builder. He looks like a really fit guy that works out hard. He’s taller and leaner in person than on TV. Did you ever see seen Laver’s left arm when he was in his prime? It was like a tree trunk.

    Also, Nadal WANTS the doctor to release all the names something A-Rod would never do, I guess.

  • Steve · April 19, 2013 at 5:14 pm

    …and Odesnik is totally off my radar but if he got caught and paid the fine and did the ban then it’s okay. He paid the price. Sounds like his sense of humor is still intact.

  • Scoop Malinowski · April 19, 2013 at 7:27 pm

    Thanks for the comment Eddie. You make valid points. It’s just an argument not worth wasting energy on IMO. I have decided to no longer look down that rabbit hole.

  • tootsie · April 20, 2013 at 5:13 am

    “I’m sorry, Odesnik’s name was on the list, but I don’t see any other tennis players’ names on the list. ”

    Ahhh, you don’t see any other tennis players’ name on the list so therefore there is nothing to be suspicious about. So, you’ve seen Dr Fuente’s list? Did you see Rafa’s name on it? No? Then why do you automatically jump to your inane conclusion? If it’s good for the goose, it’s good for the gander and I can make accusations that are every bit as wild and crazy about your guys as you are about Rafa.

    I didn’t say Querrey was on steroids. I said he took HGH – human growth hormone. He’s tall so it makes perfect sense to me for him as well as Isner…as much sense as your conclusion that Rafa has a big bicep so therefore he’s on steroids. Serena’s got some pretty sizeable biceps (and triceps and quads and everything else). She’s from Miami. Uh oh – America’s best women’s player has to go into the under suspicion category too.

    No one in Nadal’s generation won more than two events? No one in Becker’s generation won Wimbledon at 17. Becker’s a doper, no doubt about it. Was Rafa that much better than Fed and Djoker and Murray at 18? Yes, and at 19, and at 20 and at 21 and at 26. Was Laver better than his generation when he was 29 and 30 and 31? Yes. OMG!!!! Laver’s a doper too!!!!

    And gee, the Spanish Tennis Federation would be surprised to know that there are only six Spanish tennis players. That whole proud tradition of excellent Spanish tennis? All a fraud I guess according to you. Nobody mattered until Rafa came along.

    Funny how my conjecture is absurd and yours makes perfect sense. Of course mine is absurd. So is yours. That’s my point.

  • Andrew Miller · April 20, 2013 at 7:16 am

    Personally I think Nadal’s key is beautiful training partners such as Flavia Pennetta 🙂

    Second, glad to see Kuznetsov do well in Sarasota. He’ll play Devvarman. That should be a huge battle.

  • Scoop Malinowski · April 20, 2013 at 7:45 am

    Kuznetsov vs. Devvarman and Odesnik vs. Molchanov are the two semis. Odesnik crushed Arguello 63 60 last night. Molchanov outlasted Pello 75 46 75, I watched this match with Peter Haas, father of Tommy! What an interesting guy, he shared some nice memories of Federer for my book, he once saw Fed 12 years ago walking on Ocean Drive South Beach Miami during the tourney and he thought it was his own son, because they look similar and had same hair style back then ) He has huge respect for Fed.

  • Scoop Malinowski · April 20, 2013 at 7:46 am

    Rafa trains with Pennetta? I didn’t know this.

  • Andrew Miller · April 20, 2013 at 8:26 am

    Nadal and Flavia did gym work in January as both recovered from injury and Nadal skipped the AO. They’re good friends. Motivation to go to the gym!

  • Scoop Malinowski · April 20, 2013 at 8:33 am

    Yes that’s right, I Biofiled her when she was with Moya and she said some things which showed she was obviously friendly with him, she said he’s very funny too.

  • Dan Markowitz · April 20, 2013 at 9:17 am

    Tootsie,

    Valiant effort, but no, I like my points better than yours as to why Nadal is or was a possible juicer. There were other players in Becker’s era who won slams at an early age, notably Wilander at 17 and Sampras at 19.

    I just don’t think any player in the last decade could or can come up like Nadal did in 2005 at 18 and dominate so thoroughly. And then there’s the Spanish connection, Nadal’s uncle knowing the ropes, and the fact that this kid has been coached by his uncle and came out of nowhere. And then the body breaking down at such an early age. What great player had his body start breaking down at age 24?

    I still love him as a player and he seems like a great person as well, but we know life and human behavior is not black and white.

  • Scoop Malinowski · April 20, 2013 at 9:50 am

    Nadal’s body is breaking down? He looks as good as ever right now, or darn close to it. Maybe just a tad less quick, hence the mishits on the run or full stretch, like we saw today vs. Jo. The knee, or bionic knee, is hold up very well and seems to be no concern at all with him or his camp.

  • Steve · April 20, 2013 at 10:15 am

    Will Federer be watching tomorrow? He’s apparently training at secret location somewhere in Italy with a lefty.

  • Andrew Miller · April 20, 2013 at 10:24 am

    From what I understand Nadal definitely hits the gym. He hates it but he does it.

    Anyhows speculation sucks. If it does emerge that he or any of the top players juice, let’s just say it would be the worst event to hit tennis since the tragedy that wrecked Seles’ career – if not worse because Seles was attacked personally by a lunatic,whereas the damage to tennis would be done by the top men’s players.

    Personally I believe that a lot of players aren’t doing as well because they just aren’t as good. I think the same for the U.S. men’s players – other countries’ players train better and are better players – there are no illusions on this. The top four players are technically better.

    On top of this you have the drug tests, and the top guys get tested anytime, any place. They show up to Majorca and Rafa has to hit the cup. Or Djokovic. And they have to tell the ATP where they are almost all the time! Sure it upsets them, but if you are #2, 3 in the world, you have to expect that this is the price – to be a top player, you have to submit to testing.

    Anyhows, sure. I mean if you’d expect there to be more doping, maybe there is more around the top. But maybe it’s a really effective regime. They do exist.

  • Scoop Malinowski · April 20, 2013 at 11:49 am

    Can’t we talk about Odesnik as a player? He’s a very good pro player. He got to the third round of the French Open. He was down 1-5 in the third to Kavcic last year in Umag, with about 500 Slovenian Kavcic fans waving flags and making a ruckus and Odesnik came back and won the match 7-6 in the third. This guy can play. He is unsung. Very enjoyable player to watch grind and compete. Nice guy too. Will post his Biofile soon.

  • EddietheEagle · April 20, 2013 at 12:21 pm

    Find out how Wayne Odesnik got his 2010 ITF doping sanction reduced and whether his fellow Americans shunned him because of his presumed doping or whether it was felt he had shopped a few of them to the ITF for their doping. And why exactly did he feature on Anthony Bosch’s client list with his $500 a month hGh habit? Ask him the hard questions.

  • Scoop Malinowski · April 20, 2013 at 6:08 pm

    Eddie, are you implying other players dope? Sorry but I can’t help you on that. I’ve decided to stay away from the PED issue, because I prefer to cover the sport and the players and I love doing features, books and Biofiles more so than pressuring people to talk about doping, which is an issue that the vast majority of fans do not really care about. I will defer to the other journalist(s) who want to cover that issue, they can have that story. Not that they will ever find any concrete evidence or any whistleblowers to work with.

  • Dan Markowitz · April 20, 2013 at 7:05 pm

    I think you’re wrong, Scoop, that the majority of fans don’t care about players who are using steroids or not. It’s crucial to the nature of sport, particularly tennis, that each player is playing on a level playing field. If I know one player is getting an advantage over another by juicing, it hurts my interest and enjoyment of a match. But it is an issue that is mostly guesswork at this point.

    I think there is an idea, though, that tennis players are highly tested and what I’ve read is that this is just not so.

  • Scoop Malinowski · April 20, 2013 at 7:24 pm

    Dan very rarely do you see a player have a physical/endurance advantage over another in a big match. It’s pretty much a level playing field. It all comes down to who is better and the top 10 rankings are reflective of who deserves to be in the upper echelon of the sport. There are no clear and obvious drug frauds at the top of the rankings. Only the best players get there.

  • Steve · April 20, 2013 at 11:11 pm

    Scoop, I think you’re making a good decision. Other journos will cover this if they ever get any proofs. I would like to know why Soderling retired. Mono??? Hard to cover these things without medical knowledge.

  • Andrew Miller · April 21, 2013 at 7:22 am

    Personally I can’t stand doping. If there is widespread doping via ATP I’m pretty sure I will become a fulltime WTA and college tennis supporter. Knowing that Korda benefited from it to win the Australian Open over Rios makes me sick to my stomach and changed my opinion completely of Korda, who I thought was a talented player who was too skinny to win matches but nonetheless did so. But when the doping proof came out it meant Korda didn’t deserve it and he robbed one of the sport’s most talented players of the opportunity to win the AO title match, especially because without Korda’s doping we don’t know if Korda would have been there in the final, but we do know Rios would have still been there.

    On to big and better things. Today’s match pairs Odesnik and Kuznetsov. The question is whether Kuznetsov will take this to Odesnik and beat him. Sure, Odesnik is a skilled player. He pretty much has Kuznetsov cornered here. But what will Kuznetsov do? On the line for Kuznetsov and Odesnik both is the French Open wild card. I hope Kuznetsov does it – as compelling as Odesnik’s comeback is, Kuznetsov’s is more compelling and I’d rather see him win it.

  • Scoop Malinowski · April 21, 2013 at 7:46 am

    Steve, I highly doubt any tennis insider journalists like Wertheim, Bodo, Tignor, Drucker, Robson, etc., will cover or pursue the issue of alleged PEDs in the sport, if anyone does it will be an outsider of the sport IMO.

  • Scoop Malinowski · April 21, 2013 at 7:50 am

    Steve I really don’t know what is wrong with Soderling, it’s kind of hard to believe a case of mono could retire a player or even plague him for two years. Fed and Roddick claimed they had mono and overcame it quite rapidly. I don’t know. Sod isn’t even mentioned in the 2013 ATP media guide.

  • EddietheEagle · April 21, 2013 at 7:59 am

    I’m not implying that others, Americans in particular dope, although Agassi on his own admission did. However, their collective reaction to Odesnik’s reduced sanction in exchange for providing assistance to the ITF’s antidoping unit is hardly the response you’d expect from supposedly responsible playing professionals. Moreover, it looks as though Odesnik himself has cocked a snook at the ITF after his 2010 ban. His name came up again this year in a list of clients paying Anthony Bosch, peds dispenser to the stars, for further hGh treatments. He has questions to answer in other words although clearly I can see why you don’t want to ask them.

    Sports journalists will never cover doping in tennis as they feel as uncomfortable about the issue as you do. However, their private views are very different to the disinterest they show in public and I know that for a fact. We all know or suspect it goes on and there is considerable circumstantial evidence to justify that view. ITF antidoping controls have been largely discredited as next to useless. Don Catlin, antidoping scientist, is particularly sceptical about tennis and there are others beside him too. It is fair comment to say that the ITF regard the doping problem in tennis as something that can be managed as a public relations exercise, fooling the likes, I see, of people who post here, as well as the public generally.

  • Andrew Miller · April 21, 2013 at 9:24 am

    Ok but will Kuznetsov win today? Does anyone want to see Kuznetsov claim Sarasota or is this really all about Wayne? Kuznetsov is now 26 years old. He’s in his prime in terms of tennis years. Does he have a shot at making the French Open?

    Is this his shot at making the French Open? At 271 in the world there’s no prayer really of making it another way. And in the discussions on Klahn, Johnson, Sock and the rest, Kuz’s name never surfaces. Ever.

    So let’s cheer this player on. We know he’s trying and almost no one has seen this coming – no one even mentioned him playing Sarasota. But here he is. He’s going to play Odesnik. Odesnik is favored for every possible reason. But Alex is in this match.

  • Scoop Malinowski · April 21, 2013 at 10:35 am

    I saw Kuznetsox play a few times here Andrew, he made it through qualies, he was down a set and 3-5 30-all to Smyczek but came back and won the set. Smee missed a simple backhand on the 30-all pt just two points away from victory, it went into the net. Then was down 0-3 in third set but came back and beat Smee 6-4. Huge win. THen he’s just been rolling ever since, took out Steve Johnson impressively, and Devvarman yesterday. He really looks good, moving well, nice balance, looks really good, steady from baseline, good pop at times, should win today. But you can never count out the wily Odesnik.

  • Mitch · April 21, 2013 at 10:44 am

    Mono can be very severe. Forced Ancic into retirement and seems like it will do the same to Soderling.

    Do the other Americans still shun Odesnik? I know I’ll never root for the guy.

  • Minki · April 21, 2013 at 1:55 pm

    Odesnik has MORE than paid his dues and it’s refreshing to find someone who recognizes his talent for being a world class player…getting his ranking back from NO ranking, into the top 120,within one year, starting from scratch with ZERO help from wild cards is admirable to say the least. As for his connection to the Miami clinic, if you Google a bit further you will find that accusation completely false, with no substantiation. I commend Scoop for commenting on what’s really important in giving Odesnik the break he deserves… to acknowledge a player for his determination, motivation and perseverence in fighting back…against the odds….learning from the experience and coming out on top as a winner! Good for Odesnik….I’m a fan!

  • Scoop Malinowski · April 21, 2013 at 6:59 pm

    Mitch; It seems like Odesnik is an outsider, for his Biofile he said his closest tennis friend is an old pal back from junior days named Barrett Wolf, not any of the current guys. His support here was his girlfriend and an old local coaching friend John Eagleton who is South African. Last year Ellis Ferreira was here in his corner but Ellis moved to Alabama for a new job not long ago so he isn’t here anymore. Fans were pretty supportive of him today, they got behind him Kuznetsov was too good, Kuz won the final 60 62.

  • Scoop Malinowski · April 21, 2013 at 7:04 pm

    I actually became a fan too Minki, I like the way he plays, he fights hard, competes cleanly and fairly, just gives it his all. I like his demeaner. I think most of the fans here in Sarasota did. Like you say, to come all the way back up the rankings after being out with no help from wildcards is indeed admirable and shows how tough of a guy Odesnik is. After the match he was pretty disappointed but he said his goal is to get back to the top 100 or even top 50. The match today actually reflected the Djok-Rafa match with Wayne as Rafa and righty Kuz as Djok. It was close games and tough points but Kuz just hit so many winners and error forcing shots. Good match despite the score. Everyone was kinda tired from the amazing doubles final won by Bozoljac/Devvarman 67 76 11-9. One of the best doubles matches I’ve seen all year. Thanks for your comment Minki and welcome to the site.

  • Andrew Miller · April 22, 2013 at 8:14 am

    Kuznetsov deserves an “attaboy”. Well done. Here’s hoping he builds momentum and wins the Roland Garros wildcard.

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