Richard 'Has Blown His' Gasquet on Blow
Well that my friends may be a humors Heading but the mind-boggling Roller Coaster Ride referred to as His Professional Tennis Career is all but a laughing matter.
I've said this before and I must reiterate it once again, "There's something about the French Players that absolutely baffles the mind. When you look at the careers of Henri Leconte, Yannick Noah, Mary Pierce, Guy Forget and now Richard Gasquet, they all have one thing in common, some of the greatest Shot Making in the business from every angle of the Court. These Players can produce some eye popping Shots that seem to come from unrealistic positions but they also have another quality in common, which is at the most part they don't win the big one. Now of course I know that Slam Titles have been won by both Mary Pierce & Yannick Noah while competing at their Nation's Slam Tournament but none of the afore mentioned Players seem to have that certain something that sustains them at the very top tournament after tournament.
The talent is there no doubt and I feel there is talent equal to the very best in the Field amongst all of those listed above. But what this is about today is Richard Gasquet's future in the Game after being busted for Cocaine possession and use.
Here is an excerpt from an Article written by Peter Bodo for Tennis Magazine on the topic of these events:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Bodo
After that, Gasquet's best finish has been a semi in Dubai -- although he got that berth via a walkover from Murray. And now comes the news that Gasquet has been suspended for testing positive for cocaine. The urine sample that turned up positive was taken at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami -- where Gasquet put on another of his disappearing acts, pulling out after the first round.
Gasquet is protesting that he's innocent, but he's off the tour until he gets to make his case at a hearing. Gasquet's buddy, fellow French player Fabrice Santoro, told Europe 1 radio: "I know his lifestyle, and this surprises me enormously, as it's not like him. I had him on the phone, he is sad and really shocked."
Given Gasquet's history, this turn of events is surprising but hardly shocking. Cocaine isn't considered a performance-enhancing drug; I think of it more as a lifestyle pharmaceutical, and it begs the question: Should tennis be testing for it, especially under the rigorous standards the sport employs?
You remember how Martina Hingis tested positive at Wimbledon in 2007 for a metabolite found in cocaine? The amount detected in her system was just 42 nanograms per milliliter -- roughly two-thirds less than the amount that yields a positive test in the U.S. military.
Unlike Hingis, whose positive test put an end to a comeback (she was 27), Gasquet is just 22. Even a fairly harsh penalty won't be a career-ender. But when it comes to screwing up a career, this is Gasquet's most comprehensive stroke yet.
So what do you all think of this situation? Should the ITF look the other way given Cocaine is not a Performance Enhancement Drug therefore No Harm - No Foul sort of mindset and what would benefit more, no longer having Richard on the Tour because he tried a couple of lines of Coke
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