Week 41 - WTA International ($227K) - Linz, Austria - Hard

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Week 41 - WTA International ($227K) - Linz, Austria - Hard

Jan · Hall of fame

Naomi Broady is *1-4 vs Karatanhtcheva
Come on Naomi!

Spectator · All-time great

2-4.

Julie Coin next for Ms Konta.

DF · Tennis legend

Ditto

DF · Tennis legend

First set slipped away 2-6

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Naomi breaks at the start of the 2nd set *1-0

Sesil breaks back immediately, Naomi yet to save a bp 1-1*

Sesil saves 3 bps with first serves in a long game *1-2

Naomi with a straightforward hold 2-2*

Sesil with an easy hold to love *2-3

Naomi holds to 15 3-3*

Sesil throws in 3 dfs in a row but saves bp on a 2nd serve, Naomi takes advantage of 2 more 2nd serves to break *4-3

Naomi immediately down 0-40, saves 6 bps in a long game 5-3*

Sesil holds to 15 *5-4

Rapid hold from Naomi to take the set 6-4

-- Edited by kundalini on Saturday 10th of October 2015 04:50:30 PM

Etienne · Club Coach

Class is permanent and so is the effect of performance enhancing drugs.
Come on Naomi.

TennisLover · Strong Club Player

Etienne wrote:
Class is permanent and so is the effect of performance enhancing drugs.
Come on Naomi.

Who is on performance enhancing drugs?

Spectator · All-time great

Ms Karatantcheva was suspended for two years (2006-07) after testing positive for nandrolone. There have, however, been no further allegations against her.

-- Edited by Spectator on Saturday 10th of October 2015 04:52:36 PM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Spectator wrote:
Ms Karatantcheva was suspended for two years (2006-07) after testing positive for nandrolone. There have, however, been no further allegations against her.

-- Edited by Spectator on Saturday 10th of October 2015 04:52:36 PM

That's what Greg Rusedski tested positive for too, isn't it?

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Sesil saves a bp on a 2nd serve at the start of the 3rd set *0-1

Naomi holds to 15, not many aces so far 1-1*

Sesil twice saves bp 2nd serve, Naomi has lost the last 6 second serve return points *1-2

Naomi's 7th ace, holds to 40 2-2*

Sesil holds to 40 despite Naomi finally winning a 2nd serve return point *2-3

Naomi broken to 30, losing 3 first serve points 2-4*

Sesil 0-30 2nd serve, wins 4 points in a row *2-5

Naomi holds to 15 3-5*

Naomi breaks to 15 *4-5

Naomi broken to love 4-6 - high first serve percentage but only won 63% of first serve points. Those bp 2nd serve chances proved costly.

-- Edited by kundalini on Saturday 10th of October 2015 05:38:31 PM

TennisLover · Strong Club Player

Spectator wrote:
Ms Karatantcheva was suspended for two years (2006-07) after testing positive for nandrolone. There have, however, been no further allegations against her.

-- Edited by Spectator on Saturday 10th of October 2015 04:52:36 PM

OK. Thanks. A long way back.

Spectator · All-time great

Mr Rusedski, however, was cleared: "The tribunal statement said Rusedski had been cleared of a doping offence on the basis that there was 'no evidence supporting such a finding'. ATP trainers had apparently been handing out contaminated supplements, and the tribunal agreed that Rusedski's test pattern matched that of the other players affected.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Yes, apart from the fact that the supplements had all been withdrawn two months beforehand. Whereas the other six had taken them the year before when they were still in circulation.

But, yes, of course he was cleared, which is the key thing and I didn't mean to imply anything, just checking that it was the same drug - which the authorities seem to have so much problem with - they never even did find the supplements that were supposedly behind the problems in 2003-4.

Spectator · All-time great

In fairness to Mr Rusedski, the ATP apparently had not fully informed people why it had not withdrawn the supplements - hence it would have been quite possible to have taken something that one simply had around. The tribunal was fairly clear on that.

But yes, nandrolone has been a frequent issue in tennis: Guillermo Coria and Petr Korda were both suspended because of it.