Banned

I woke up this morning to the news that Australian tennis player Brydan Klein has been banned for six months for a racial slur.

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To which I have nothing to say but this: good.

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There is no excuse for that kind of behaviour in sport - and it's something we hear so rarely in tennis. Tennis has to be one of the most well-behaved sports, on the whole (this is the impression I get, anyway). It's a sport of gentlemen and ladies - not in the oh let's go and dance at a ball sort of way, but in a polite, respectful way. Look at who we have at the top - Roger and Rafa, who are both some of the most lovely guys you'll ever meet.

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Which is why incidents like the Brydan Klein one are so shocking. And I'm surprised he only got six months, really - this isn't the kind of thing we want in our sport. I have to say - I'm ashamed that someone from my country is responsible for this kind of thing. Because it is not cool, it is not on and it does not belong in tennis.

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Today's Results

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Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships (Newport)

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Sergiy Stakhovsky def. Frank Dancevic, 7-6 (11-9) 2-6 7-5

Olivier Rochus def. Alexander Peya, 6-2 4-6 6-4

Fabrice Santoro def. Flavio Cipolla, 6-3 7-5

Kevin Kim def. Sebastien Grosjean, 4-6 6-3 retired

Rajeev Ram def. Alejandro Falla, 6-4 7-5

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Collector Swedish Open Women (Bastad)

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Caroline Wozniacki def. Maria Kirilenko, 7-5 7-6 (7-4)

Gisela Dulko def. Dominika Cibulkova, 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 7-6 (8-6)

Flavia Pennetta def. Alla Kudryavtseva, 6-4 6-2

Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez def. Carla Suarez Navarro, 4-6 6-3 6-0

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GDF Suez Grand Prix (Budapest)

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Patty Schnyder def. Maria Elena Camerin, 6-3 6-2

Agnes Szavay def. Tathiana Garbin, 7-6 (7-2) 5-7 7-5

Alisa Kleybanova def. Kateryna Bondarenko, 4-6 6-4 6-4

Timea Bacsinszky def. Patricia Mayr, 0-6 6-3 6-4