World No. 3 Andy Murray has called for greater transparency from the ITF anti-doping unit as Maran Cilic appears in London to face his hearing on a failed test earlier in the year.
Cilic tested positive at the BMW Munich Open, later withdrawing from Wimbledon citing a knee injury when he was advised of the test results. The positive test was not made public as ITF protocols state that the hearings take place three months later to allow both parties to present a case. In Cilic’s case, the positive test was leaked by local Croatian media outlets.
“I think it’s about time everyone knew what was going on,” said Murray, who leads the British charge in the UK/Croatia Davis Cup clash. “Once it’s out in the open, then whether the hearing took two months or three or fourth months, so long as he isn’t playing in that period. I think it’s too long for no one to say he has failed a drugs test.”
Cilic’s camp has attributed the failed test down to purchasing an “over the counter” glucose supplement. If the ITF do enforce a ban then it will be backdated to Cilic’s last match and Wimbledon and depending on the sanction should be enforced for 6 to 24 months.