Croatian Marin Cilic has been suspended for nine months by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for failing a doping test at the BMW Munich Open back in May.
Cilic, a former Top 10 player, withdrew from Wimbledon citing injury when advised of test results that showed he had used a banned stimulant. Cilic pleaded innocence stating he had taken some glucose tablets purchased over-the-counter by his mother at a pharmacy.
During the hearing, ITF officials accepted Cilic’s use of the stimulant was inadvertent and reduced his suspension period from two years to nine months. This will be applied from the date of the failed test and retroactively applied from May 1, 2013. It will mean he will not be eligible for the remainder of the year and the Australian Open in January.
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Cover Photo: Angela N. (Creative Commons License)