Andre Agassi: Telling the truth about love, tennis, drugs

It was a tennis kind of day.

Andre Agassi came to town to promote his painfully honest autobiography called "Open," in which he details his tortured relationship with his demanding father, his dalliance with the recreational drug crystal meth, his finding the love of his life, Steffi Graf, when he didn't think such love was possible, and his evolution as an introspective adult who prefers no shouting in the house -- by him or his eight-year-old son Jaden and six-year-old daughter Jaz -- and who hopes that his revelation of the drug episode might prove educational and not reputation-tarnishing.

Agassi said that had he failed a drug test in the sport today -- as, he reveals in the book, he did in 1997 -- there would have been no escaping punishment. "It couldn't happen today," Agassi said Tuesday. "And that's a good thing." The explanation Agassi gave ATP officials back in 1997 was that he accidentally ingested the drug because it was in a beverage provided by an assistant.

However, Agassi said, he wishes there were more nuances in doping penalties.

Yanina Wickmayer suspended; Agassi talks to '60 Minutes' [Updated]

Her story at the U.S. Open was heartbreaking and heart-warming. Young Yanina Wickmayer and her widowed father packed up their lives in Belgium and moved to the U.S. after Wickmayer's mother died of cancer. From nowhere (or Belgium), she arrived in the U.S. and made it to the semifinals. She told her story and we were charmed.

That story takes quite a different turn with Thursday's announcement that she and fellow Belgian Xavier Malisse will be serving  suspensions for violations of doping rules. [Correction: An earlier version of this post said Wickmayer was suspended for doping. She was suspended for failing to report her whereabouts to doping officials.]

We were also enthralled listening to Andre Agassi. He spoke eloquently about his tennis career. He was honest about his struggles with his strict father and his feelings of having been forced to play the game and how, sometimes, his rebellion caused him to behave badly when he was younger. In an hourlong chat at the U.S. Open, a clearly happy and satisfied Agassi is now a great spokesman both for tennis and education. He's an athlete who has put his money into things more important mansions or dozens of cars. He runs an education academy that offers hope for at-risk students.

And then excerpts came out from Agassi's new autobiography in which he confessed to failing a doping test back in 1997 for crystal meth. More disappointing than the drug use (which frankly wasn't so shocking) was that Agassi said he lied to ATP Tour officials about the failed test. It came at a time when Agassi's rankings plummeted.

The confession wasn't necessary. Yet it feels real. Agassi will appear Sunday on the CBS' "60 Minutes," where he gets emotional when reacting to some criticism from Martina Navratilova.  

Is it right that Agassi got away with something? Of course not, But Agassi seems genuinely tortured about the incident and is now doing something so very right with his academy. He gets the benefit of the doubt with me. It's just a gut feeling. But he's now a great guy. He was once a troubled kid but there was a good person inside. "60 Minutes" might be worth watching Sunday.

-- Diane Pucin

Photo: Yanina Wickmayer, left, walks with her father today in Bali. Credit: Achmad Ibrahim / Associated Press.

Are Sasha Vujacic and Maria Sharapova dating?

As if the Lakers hadn't already gone over-the-top Hollywood with the addition of Khloe Kardashian to the basketball family after she and Lamar Odom were married during the off-season.

Now comes word that struggling backup guard Sasha Vujacic and tennis star Maria Sharapova might be dating after the two were seen cuddling at a recent U2 concert.

In a recent posting, the website SportsByBrooks reported that CNBC reporter Darren Rovell revealed on Twitter the possibility of this power union earlier today. That was followed a few hours later by Matt Cronin of tennisreporters.net tweeting that it was indeed true.

If Sharapova can somehow get "The Machine" to rediscover his shooting touch, Lakers fans figure to embrace the move. But if things get worse ... get ready for the Yoko-pova jokes.

-- Jim Barrero

Andre Agassi admits to using crystal meth in upcoming autobiography

Tennis great Andre Agassi says he used crystal meth and lied to ATP authorities when he failed a drug test in 1997 in a yet-to-be published autobiography.

The Times of London published excerpts from Agassi's upcoming book Wednesday, detailing his use of the drug and how he lied when he told tennis officials he "unwittingly" took the substance when he drank from a soda can spiked with crystal meth.

According to The Times, Agassi felt a sense of dread when he learned he had failed the drug test: "My name, my career, everything is now on the line. Whatever I've achieved, whatever I worked for might soon mean nothing. Days later I sit in a hard-backed chair, a legal pad in my lap, and write a letter to the ATP. It's filled with lies interwoven with bits of truth.

"I feel ashamed, of course. I promise myself that this lie is the end of it," the book says.

Agassi's autobiography "Open" is scheduled to be released Nov. 9.

-- Austin Knoblauch

Photo: Andre Agassi. Credit: Gerry Penny / EPA

Greg Norman and Chris Evert announce separation

Hall of Famers Greg Norman, a two-time British Open golf champion, and Chris Evert, winner of 18 Grand Slam tennis titles, are no longer the perfect sports couple. The newlyweds announced that they have separated just days before Norman is to captain the International team in the President's Cup competition.

They were married in June 2008 in The Bahamas. A month later, Norman, then 53, was nine holes away from becoming golf's oldest champion in a Grand Slam tournament when he led the British Open. He eventually tied for third.

The couple said in a statement, "We will remain friends and supportive of one another's family."

No word whether a divorce is pending.

This is Evert's third marriage, all to athletes. She had been married to British tennis player John Lloyd and then skiing star Andy Mills. She has three sons with Mills. Norman divorced his first wife after he and Evert began dating. He has two children from that marriage. 

-- Dan Loumena

Photo: Chris Evert and Greg Norman take in a U.S. Open semifinal match last month in New York. Credit: Andrew Gombert / European Pressphoto Agency

Season over for Sam Querrey

Sam Querrey, the on-the-rise tennis player from Thousand Oaks who won the Los Angeles Open this summer and who is ranked No. 25 in the world, sliced open his right forearm Monday in Thailand.

John Tobias, president of the tennis division for Blue Entertainment Sports

Television (BEST), who represents Querrey, said Querrey sat on a glass table in the locker room at the site of this weeks' ATP tournament in Bangkok. "He was just bending over to tie his shoes," Tobias said, "and the table shattered. A piece of glass slashed his right forearm."

Tobias said Querrey underwent surgery to close the wound but that no ligaments were sliced. "He'll most likely be shut down for the rest of the season," Tobias said, "but this is an injury that will heal. He was lucky."

Querrey was the third-seeded player in the Bangkok draw.

-- Diane Pucin

Photo: Sam Querrey. Credit: Jason Szenes / EPA. 

Jack Kramer memorial service to be held Saturday

A memorial service for tennis great Jack Kramer will take place at Los Angeles Tennis Center's Straus Stadium on the UCLA campus at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Some of the biggest names in the sport's past and present will be participating in the service, including International Tennis Hall of Famers Tracy Austin and Donald Dell and U.S. Open tournament director Jim Curley. The event will be hosted by Pam Shriver and Times sports columnist Bill Dwyre.

Kramer died on Sept. 12 at the age of 88 following a lifetime of involvement in the sport. He won the singles title at Wimbledon in 1946 and the United States Championships twice (1946, '47).

Following his retirement, Kramer continued to promote the sport through a number of prominent positions. He served as the first executive director of the ATP tour, was once the president of the Southern California Tennis Association and served as the tournament director of the L.A. Tennis Open. Kramer also worked as a television commentator and fundraiser.

He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1968.

The Times will be blogging the memorial service on The Fabulous Forum. It also will air live on www.radiotennis.net.

-- Austin Knoblauch

Photo: Jack Kramer holds a pair of signature Wilson rackets presented to him during a ceremony in 2003. Credit: Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press

Tennis' Bryan brothers try their hands at making music

The Bryan brothers, twins Mike and Bob from Camarillo, have become a tennis attraction because of their doubles play. It wasn't uncommon during the U.S. Open to find more fans sitting on an outer court watching the Bryans than were in the show courts watching singles matches.

The twins are funny, emotional and fan-friendly. They have embraced Twitter and blogging and all things media, including, now, making music.

Here is a clip from their new CD, which they posted on their Twitter account, @bryanbros. The CD, available on Amazon.com, is called "Let It Rip." No giggling. 

Bob and Mike were the only players asked after a U.S. Open loss whether they had spent too much time on their music and not enough on their tennis. Listen and be the judge.

-- Diane Pucin

Photo: Bob, left, and Mike Bryan walk onto the court at this year's U.S. Open. Credit: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images.

Henin back. More drama for women's tennis?

With former No. 1-ranked Justine Henin having officially announced she is making her tennis unretirement official, one's first reaction might be to wonder if Serena Williams is considering a fresh throat might be worth sticking a tennis ball down.

And the next reaction is to hope Henin and Serena get a chance to play each other at the Australian Open.

Tennis needs emotional rivalries, and Serena and Justine can certainly offer that.

It was at the 2003 French Open when Serena accused Henin of cheating. Henin had raised her hand to take a timeout while Serena was serving. The chair umpire didn't see the signal, but Serena did. Her serve landed in the net. Henin chose not to indicate she had raised her hand, something that is an accepted courtesy. Serena lost the point and an emotional match and she was booed. 

It wasn't only Serena who was the recipient of what seemed to be unsportsmanlike behavior on the part of Henin. Rather than play out an Australian Open final in 2006 where she was getting pummeled by Amelie Maursemo, Henin quit the match when she was down 6-1, 2-0 and cited an stomach upset. Respected tennis writer Peter Bodo titled his story on that match, The Little Backhand that Quit

She also heard some boos at the 2003 U.S. Open when she dramatically suffered from cramping  against Jennifer Capriati. Henin said after the match that she had been reluctant to call a trainer after getting criticized at another tournament that year for calling a trainer during a match against Kim Clijsters. The normally good-natured Clijsters had expressed displeasure during that interrupted match. Among other things, Clijsters accused Henin of "gamesmanship" and the two Belgians didn't have a warm relationship.

Besides the drama, Henin usually offers a powerful backhand and the willingness to play at the net.

But the drama will be fine too.

-- Diane Pucin

Photo: Justine Henin, left, looks at her coach, Carlos Rodriguez, during a news  conference announcing her return to tennis. Credit: Yves Logghe / AP.

Belgian tennis star Justine Henin announces her comeback

It's official -- Justine Henin is returning to professional tennis.

The seven-time grand slam winner announced on Belgian television today that she will play in a series of exhibition tournaments before making a return to the WTA tour in 2010.

Henin said she decided to come back because she missed the sport too much. Injuries forced her to announce her retirement in May 2008 while she was ranked No. 1 in the world.

The 27-year-old makes her return a little more than a week after fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters won the U.S. Open following shortly after returning from a two-year break from the sport.

-- Austin Knoblauch

Photo: Justine Henin celebrates after winning the French Open on June 10, 2006. Credit: Michael Spingler / Associated Press