Russian tennis star Marat Safin has criticised Andre Agassi for the American’s recent admission that he took drugs in the 1990s and encouraged him to hand back his titles and prize money.
Agassi, 39, won eight Grand Slam titles and earned over $30-million during his career but revealed in his autobiography that he failed a drug test for crystal meth in 1997 and lied about it to escape a suspension.
His revelation was met with shock in tennis circles and former world number one Safin, who is set to retire at the end of the week, believes Agassi should prove his remorse by returning the spoils of his career.
”OK, so he feels guilty? Then he should give back his titles, his money and his Grand Slams!” Safin told French sport daily L’Equipe.
”If he’s about fair play, he should go all the way. You know, the ATP have a bank account, he can pay them back if he wants to.
”The question is: why has he done that? What’s done is done. He wants to sell more books? That’s completely stupid.
”I’m not defending the ATP, but what he said puts them in a bad position. The ATP allowed him to win lots of tournaments and lots of money and kept his secret, so why be bad to them? Sometimes you need to know when to shut up.”
Safin was speaking after squeezing past Frenchman Thierry Ascione in the first round of the ATP Paris Masters, which is to be his last tournament before he retires at the age of 29.
The two-time Grand Slam winner saved three match points before prevailing 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3) to set up a third-round meeting with Argentina’s US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro.
”Do you really believe that I am going to beat him [Del Potro]?” said Safin.
”I think that at the level he is playing at the moment, I have no chance. But I will try and give him a good match.”
Safin has won the Paris Masters title on three occasions but says he is going into the final tournament of his career with nothing to lose.
”This time I know I have no pretensions to the title,” he said.
”I am just here to finish on a good note and to say good-bye to everybody. It has become increasingly difficult to pack my bags and leave home this season.” — AFP
