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Australian player apologizes for racial abuse

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  • Brydan Klein
    Former Australian Open junior champion Brydan Klein was penalized for making a racial slur during a match against SA's Raven Klaasen on June 13.
    Australian tennis player Brydan Klein will undergo a racial sensitivity course after accepting a six-month ban from the ATP Tour for racially abusing a South African opponent.

    The 19-year-old Klein, the 2007 junior Australian Open champion, was handed the suspension and fined $10,000 for the slur against Raven Klaasen during a qualifying match at a grass-court tournament at Birmingham, England on June 13.

    "I sincerely regret my error in judgment in using the language I did and I am deeply sorry for the offense caused," Klein said in a statement Friday. "I am accepting of the ATP's ruling and am now looking to put the whole incident behind me."

    The ATP said Klein was also given a euro10,000 ($14,000) penalty on site during the tournament.

    Klein has been suspended from the ATP World Tour and Challenger events for six months, although two months of that will be served in probation should he successfully complete the racial sensitivity course.

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    Klein's suspension begins on July 20, leaving him free to contest an ATP Challenger Tour event in Manchester, England next week.

    "I will undergo a racial sensitivity course and am determined to learn from this mistake," Klein said. "I plan to do everything I can to grow as a person and later as a tennis player by improving myself both off and on the court over the next four months."

    Klein, who made his Davis Cup debut for Australia in March, was previously suspended from the Australian Institute of Sport after repeated on-court misbehaviour.

    Klein, currently ranked No. 186, was found guilty of aggravated behaviour under the ATP Code of Conduct.

    "The incident was deemed to have been 'behaviour that is flagrant and particularly injurious to the success of a tournament or is singularly egregious,"' the ATP said in a statement Thursday.

    Hypocrites!!!By: Brian | 13-Jul-2009 Reply | Forward Racism is ingrained in the Indian psyche for goodness sake and has been for centuries.For example, there is no way an Indian girl will have a relationship with an African man, and the way some western women are treated is disgraceful, yet you have the hide to call one of the most multicultural nations on earth Rascist.
    Australian player with racial slurBy: Dr. Paras Deo | 10-Jul-2009 Reply | Forward What do you expect from an Aussie? I to have been racially abused by an Aussie. Why only 6 months ban. It should have been at least 1 year.
    Again an aussieBy: Indi | 10-Jul-2009 Reply | Forward Again an aussie
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