Agassi feels Murray will dominate the World Tennis in the upcoming years

HONG KONG -- Andre Agassi says Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's domination of the men's game is coming to an end, tipping Scotsman Andy Murray as the most likely successor.

"Now we have possibly the changing of the guard. You have those top two who are now losing ground to the likes of [Novak] Djokovic and Murray and [Juan Martin] del Potro," Agassi told reporters in Hong Kong by phone from Las Vegas.

Nadal has struggled with injuries since his stunning exit in the fourth round of the French Open. Federer won the French and Wimbledon, breaking Pete Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slams, but was beaten in the U.S. Open final by 21-year-old Argentine del Potro. It was the first Grand Slam won by a player other than Federer or Nadal since Djokovic won the 2008 Australian Open.

Agassi, who preceded Federer in winning all four grand slam tournaments over his career, believes the Swiss "still has the chance to do some more special things," but the 28-year-old's chances are diminishing with age.

Agassi, who was promoting his upcoming exhibition match against Sampras in the Chinese gambling enclave of Macau on Oct. 25, worried that Nadal's injuries may be chronic.

"If you're struggling with your knee, it tends to be recurring and not to be easy to do, so I got to believe he'll struggle with it probably for his career," Agassi said.

Agassi said the 22-year-old Murray is the man most likely to be the dominant figure the next few years. The world No. 3 is still seeking his first Grand Slam title.

"From a talent standpoint, Murray is a person who should win multiple Slams," Agassi said.

"When I look at his game compared to the other players, he has what it takes to win and to win against anybody on any surface."

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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal shocked by Agassi controversy

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal two of the best tennis players of our generation are shocked by the Agassi controversy.


Federer is shocked about the incident and hopes no such cases happen in the future.

Nadal extremenly unhappy with the cushion provided to Andre while others are punished,here is the quote "To me it seems terrible. Why is he saying this now that he has retired?, It's a way of damaging the sport that makes no sense. I believe our sport is clean and I am the first one that wants that."

He further said "If the ATP covered for Agassi then I think that's dreadful,If they covered for the player and punished others for doing the same kind of thing then that would seem to me to be a lack of respect for all sportsmen"

Boris Becker feels the same his view "I'm struggling to get my head around why Andre would want to confess to something so damaging as taking drugs and then getting away with it"

The thing is if ATP forgot after forgiving his mistake, Agassi should have forgotton too rather than creating a trouble to them by revealing the incident on his book just to increase sales.

People could have still forgiven him had he arranged for a press release and accepted the mistake rather than doing it for the sales of his book.

Agassi and Gasquet treated differently?

Well for most who didnt read my previous article on Agassi's confession, where I brought the news of the day, some body have reported it for no reason apart from being a die hard Agassi fan.

My point was straight forward Gasquet was made to repent for his mistake with a ban from tennis for few months, while Agassi was clever enough to tackle the questions raised on him by the ATP doctors once they have found him tested positive.

So its clear one not only has to be a good player but have to be a clever player to tackle the situations, if only Agassi would not have been clever nor a big name he would have faced the similar situation of Gasquet, but the thing is Agassi was smart to escape from the penalty in-spite of fooling ATP doctors, Agassi himself have confessed that not me, for thos who need proof of his statement pls go-trough top stories of today in yahoo.

Eventhough we can appreciate Agassi come forward with truth atleast now, ATP should make a lesson of it so no such things happen in the future.

Andre Agassi confesses on using drugs

Tennis legend Andre Agassi reveals in his forthcoming autobiography "Open" that he used crystal meth during his playing career, Paul Bogaards, a spokesman for the book's publisher, confirmed to the New York Daily News on Tuesday.

According to the Daily News, the eight-time Grand Slam champion admits using the illicit drug in 1997, the year he married Brooke Shields and went into a career slump that didn't end until 1999.

After pulling out of that slump, Agassi went on to win five Grand Slams and became only the fifth player to complete the career Slam. He has been heavily involved in charity work since retirement, opening his own charter school and championing educational reform throughout the country.

The information was first released this morning on the Twitter account of SI.com media analyst Richard Deitsch, but was subsequently removed:

"FYI: There's an off-the-charts book excerpt from Andre Agassi in the forthcoming SI: He admits to taking crystal meth during his career."

Both Sports Illustrated and People will run excerpts from the book.

Releasing this admission a week ahead of the book's release is an obvious ploy to generate interest and sell copies, and it's working. Almost all autobiographies are self-serving odes to one's own pursuit of greatness. They're rarely interesting. Agassi's could be different.

He's always been forthcoming with the press about his issues, whether it be his overbearing father, the therapy he underwent while his career was in shambles (the first time) or the true reason he cut his hair. The vulnerable, intense picture on the cover suggests more of the same is inside. (Compare it to the covers of other recent tennis autobiographies that look straight out of a Sears catalog.)

We'll reserve judgment on the drug use until we read the book excerpts, which should hit newsstands on Tuesday. The book will be released Nov. 9.

Update: (11:47 p.m. ET) The first excerpts have been released and, wow, are they explosive. Not only does Agassi admit to using crystal meth, but he describes how he evaded drug testers by lying about his useage.

In the first excerpt Agassi writes about taking the drug at home with an assistant known only as Slim:

"Slim is stressed too ... He says, You want to get high with me? On what? Gack. What the hell's gack? Crystal meth. Why do they call it gack? Because that's the sound you make when you're high ... Make you feel like Superman, dude.

"As if they're coming out of someone else's mouth, I hear these words: You know what? F*** it. Yeah. Let's get high.

"Slim dumps a small pile of powder on the coffee table. He cuts it, snorts it. He cuts it again. I snort some. I ease back on the couch and consider the Rubicon I've just crossed.

"There is a moment of regret, followed by vast sadness. Then comes a tidal wave of euphoria that sweeps away every negative thought in my head. I've never felt so alive, so hopeful - and I've never felt such energy.

"I'm seized by a desperate desire to clean. I go tearing around my house, cleaning it from top to bottom. I dust the furniture. I scour the tub. I make the beds."

Later on, Agassi writes, he received a call from ATP doctors telling him he'd tested positive for meth.

"My name, my career, everything is now on the line. Whatever I've achieved, whatever I've 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 say Slim, whom I've since fired, is a known drug user, and that he often spikes his sodas with meth - which is true. Then I come to the central lie of the letter. I say that recently I drank accidentally from one of Slim's spiked sodas, unwittingly ingesting his drugs. I ask for understanding and leniency and hastily sign it: sincerely.

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

The ATP accepted Agassi's version of events and he received no drug suspension.