WTA News and Gossip 2018

[special700]

Why don't you all address the fact that since maria stopped taking her PEDs she can't win a tournament to save her life. Where's the topic on that subject.

 

[Horsa]

Why don't you all address the fact that since maria stopped taking her PEDs she can't win a tournament to save her life. Where's the topic on that subject.

That's very true. I guess some people only see what they want to see. There may be many reasons why Serena wasn't available for drugs testing. Where I come from people are innocent until proven guilty though sometimes people avoid things to get out of stuff so it may look as if she has something to hide but as she hasn't failed a test she should be given the benefit of the doubt. Maria was found to be on drugs in the past & hasn't won since being found out so your questions are perfectly reasonable.

 

[special700]

That's very true. I guess some people only see what they want to see. There may be many reasons why Serena wasn't available for drugs testing. Where I come from people are innocent until proven guilty though sometimes people avoid things to get out of stuff so it may look as if she has something to hide but as she hasn't failed a test she should be given the benefit of the doubt. Maria was found to be on drugs in the past & hasn't won since being found out so your questions are perfectly reasonable.

I have no idea what that bold part means. However is sounds like shade to me coming from you. You are "trying to be fair" or so you think, but yet you threw that crap in your post. It would behoove you to read the article and read what Serena said and stop casting shade.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

You are such a damn liar. Did you actually read the article? There was no damn stand off. Serena was out of town or a very good distance from her home when the person showed up and was way out side of the hours that he should have been there. After he was told this he should have left her premises. Serena did not pull any strings by calling the CEO. Why the hell don't you stop being scandalize and read the damn article. Serena is not Maria, she does not need PEDs to help her win matches. You ass should be sued for this false information your are spreading. Damn liar.

You should read the article. In your reverence to your idol, you are disputing fundamental facts.

1. While all players should give an one hour window each day and let the authorities know where they can find them during that time, the testers can come at any time, not necessarily in that one hour window.

2. Serena texted the WTA CEO and then the WTA CEO called her to discuss the issue. Not very different from Serena calling him. Serena is the one who initiated.

3. When a tester comes during the specified time and the player is not available, it is counted as one miss. Three such misses count as a one failed test.

4. When a tester comes outside the specified window and the player is not available (due to no doding), it is not even counted as miss.

5. Serena was supposed to be available at her house both 12 hours before and 12 hours after the agent came as per the window given by her. So, basically she was in town (and actually it appears she was at home, although it is difficult to prove it). The agent was willing to wait, but she did not want to accommodate. Hence, I believe it was actually counted as a miss for Serena.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Why don't you all address the fact that since maria stopped taking her PEDs she can't win a tournament to save her life. Where's the topic on that subject.

I have made such a remark in the Wimbledon women's thread, you can go there and see it for yourself.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Again, stop your lies with this "panic room" what the hell is your problem man....Are you for real?

You forgot the "panic room incident". Do you want me to pull up the articles relating to it. I would gladly do so.

 

[Horsa]

I have no idea what that bold part means. However is sounds like shade to me coming from you. You are "trying to be fair" or so you think, but yet you threw that crap in your post. It would behoove you to read the article and read what Serena said and stop casting shade.

It means that sometimes people avoid things so they don't have to face the music when they've got something to hide. I was being neutral actually stating that either situation could be true, no one knows why she wasn't available for testing exactly & explaining why people may think the way they do & how things might look to others because you weren't being fair to others. I'm the impartial 1 as you could tell if you didn't just go around calling others liars & judging them. I'm not saying she was on drugs or not on drugs because no one knows exactly. I don't just think I'm trying to be fair, I know I'm trying to be fair & I'm more than just trying to be fair, I am being fair. Don't try to tell me what I think until you can communicate using Extra Sensory Perception because you don't know for sure & actually it's you calling others & judging everyone else who's talking crap. I did actually agree with some of what you said which you'd have realised if you didn't go in all guns blazing because some of what I said didn't fit your view entirely. I did read the article & I wasn't pointing fingers just showing I'd looked at both sides unlike yourself who judged everyone else & called G.S.M. a liar because he disagreed with you.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

If dodging testing happens in an on-site situation, it is considered the SAME as failing the test. People should remember that Troicki came up with a lame excuse saying he was having fear of needles on that day and dodged the test. He got banned for an year and then had to come back with no ranking.

 

[Horsa]

If dodging testing happens in an on-site situation, it is considered the SAME as failing the test. People should remember that Troicki came up with a lame excuse saying he has having fear of needles on that day and dodged the test. He got banned for an year and then had to come back with no ranking.

I didn't realise that. Thank you very much for your information.

 

[kskate2]

If dodging testing happens in an on-site situation, it is considered the SAME as failing the test. People should remember that Troicki came up with a lame excuse saying he was having fear of needles on that day and dodged the test. He got banned for an year and then had to come back with no ranking.

There are rules for when a person is actively playing a tournament and when they are not, right? Do you know what the difference in the rules are then?

 

[GameSetAndMath]

There are rules for when a person is actively playing a tournament and when they are not, right? Do you know what the difference in the rules are then?

The testing is generally divided into two categories. The on-site testing and out-of competition testing. The onsite testing happens during the week in which the tournament is being played and applies to those players who are still playing in that tourney. Typically, if they decide to test a player, they catch him/her right after the match and/or following the press obligations. If a player decides not to cooperate and does not give samples as requested, it is treated the same as failing the test.

Out of competition test is a different story. Each player is asked to enter data in the system in which they specify one hour window when they will be available on each day and where they will be available. When the tester comes to specified location, during the specified time, the player must submit to testing. If (s)he does not, it is counted as a "miss". If a player accumulates, three misses in the same calendar year, it is counted as being equivalent to failed test.

The tester can also visit players outside the specified one hour window to conduct out of competition testing. If the player happens to be at home, the player is still expected to cooperate and give samples. The players are not obliged to be at home all the time and so if the player happens to be not at home when the testing agent comes (outside the window), typically the agent leaves and it is not counted as a miss for the player.

Up to above is 100% fact. There is some speculation in the para below.

In the incident on June 14th, the agent came to Serena's house outside the specified window of time and an attendant let him in. When the agent was told that Serena is not at home, apparently he decided to wait until she comes back home to do the testing (note that the agent knows the general whereabouts of the players as they know the location where the player can be found during the one hour window on the previous day and also for the current day). This is bit unusual. Perhaps, he actually saw Serena at home or perhaps he got a suspicion that she is at home and the attendant is lying. Anyway, it appears that after waiting for some time (and perhaps after being told by his boss who might have been contacted by WTA CEO), the agent eventually left. Also, it appears that this incident is being counted as a miss for Serena. I think it is probably because it is considered as non-faithful attempt to cooperate when she could have indeed cooperated. Note that as per normal protocol, if an agent comes outside the specified time slot and the player is not at home, neither the agent waits nor is it counted as a miss.

 

[kskate2]

So we don't know why this agent decided to wait or why he left

 

[GameSetAndMath]

So we don't know why this agent decided to wait or why he left

Yes, But we do know that Serena texted the WTA CEO about this matter and he called her back, even though we are not privy to the actual info exchanged. WTA surely can be more transparent. Even after all this non-sense, they (the authorities) are not telling a clear story of what happened.

 

[kskate2]

And they may never tell the story. As was mentioned in the article, this much wouldn't even be known to the public had it not been for the CEO's loudmouth.

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

I would hope someone would offer greater clarity on this matter. We really don’t know what that telephone conversation was about, and we are not sure what caused the agent to stay and for how long he was on her property. There are so many holes. I am getting tired of Serena being in these situations. Figure something out to make testing less of an issue.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

There are three different mysteries here.

1. Serena apparently called the WTA CEO to complain about she being targeted for testing. However, Serena said in the pre-tournament presser (I posted the video earlier) at Wimbledon that only after reading the deadspin article, she realized how much more frequently she is being tested in comparison to others. How can you complain about something that you were not even aware of in the first place (as she has not obviously read deadspin article at the time she chatted with WTA CEO over phone).

2. Even if Serena wanted to complain about being targeted for testing as a general grievance issue, she would either have sought a meeting with the WTA chief or wrote him a memo or something like that. Also, the WTA chief would not be responding immediately and would want to lo investigate the merits of the complaint. But, this was a quick text message, followed by an immediate return call from airport/airplane. All of this seems to point to an emergency operation (of making the agent who is adamantly sitting in the house go away).

3. Apparently, this incident is being counted as a miss for Serena by USADA. If there is nothing fishy here and everything is proper it should not even count as a miss. When an agent comes outside the specified window and the player is not at home, as per the protocols it is not considered a miss. Why is Serena not fighting over this being counted as a miss? So, this appears to be a "compromise solution"; i.e., Make the agent leave, but count it as a miss.

 

[kskate2]

Do we know for sure this is being counted as a miss?

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Do we know for sure this is being counted as a miss?

We don't know for sure. I remember reading it somewhere, but have difficulty locating it. If I do find it later, I will post it. USADA says it won't disclose the details of specific testing mission to protect the privacy of athletes. They simply say Serena is in good standing. It only means she has not failed any tests so far. As one has to reach three misses in a calendar year before it is considered failure, a player with two misses would also be considered to be in good standing.

Britbox posted a note (without links) that the agent actually found Serena in home, but she refused to undertake the tests. If that is true, it is actually lot more serious than a "miss". Lack of cooperation is never considered a miss. It is a miss if the player is not available during the specified time at the specified place Once cannot say, don't test me and count it as a miss after the agent is able to locate the player.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

From the official USADA website:


Whereabouts Related – Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV)

• Missed Test = Whereabouts Failure
  
  
• Filing Failure = Whereabouts Failure
  
  
• All whereabouts failures will be shared and combined with the athlete’s international federation (IF), WADA, and USADA, and will be part of a combined whereabouts failure record.
  
  
• Any combination of three whereabouts failures (filing failures and/or missed tests), declared by USADA, WADA or an IF, within an 12 month period = Anti-Doping Rule Violation.
  

 

[Hoergren]

And now to something completely different.
Has the World Cup missed some skilled players?