The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Murray backs doping tests as Troicki awaits
TENNIS: Scot hits out before semi-final meeting with ‘unprofessional’ rival
Andy Murray maintains his Aegon Championships semi-final opponent Viktor Troicki was “unprofessional” in the build-up to his year-long drugs ban.
Murray reaffirmed his position that Troicki lacked professionalism for refusing to provide a blood sample drugs test after the 2013 Monte Carlo Masters.
The 28-year-old Scot challenged top tennis stars to be “aware of exactly what the rules are” around anti-doping to “protect the image of the sport”.
In the wake of the doping allegations surrounding Mo Farah’s coach Alberto Salazar, Murray said he will back “getting tested as much as possible”.
“I think players now realise that it’s extremely serious business, the drug testing,” said Murray, after seeing off Gilles Muller in a three-set quarter-final.
“I know that I’m getting tested a lot more than I was in the past. It’s something that needs to happen.
“If you want the public to take your sport seriously, you need to have strong anti-doping protocols and make sure that all of the athletes are getting tested as much as possible.”
Troicki has rebuilt his career after the 18-month ban that was reduced to a year on appeal, climbing back to 25 in the world rankings.
The 29-year-old blitzed past John Isner 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 to book his seventh meeting with Murray, who recovered from a patchy start to dismiss Luxembourg’s Muller.
Murray criticised Troicki for lacking professionalism in reaction to his ban in November 2013.
The two-time major winner stayed true to those words at Queen’s Club, but refused to be drawn on whether players who have served drugs bans should be allowed back to the sport.
“Obviously it’s a difficult situation,” said Murray, when quizzed on whether Troicki should be back in the game.
“I think if you want to protect the image of your sport, you need to understand how serious the drug testing is and anti-doping is.”
Murray moved past Muller 3-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 in yesterday’s quarter-final.
He was wearing strapping on his left thigh but later revealed it was only to combat a rash.
In the other semi-final Gilles Simon will meet Kevin Anderson.
Canadian Milos Raonic blasted 23 aces to notch 76 in three matches at Queen’s Club this year but was stopped in his tracks by Simon, who progressed 4-6 6-3 7-5.
South African Anderson beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-6 (9-7) 7-5.
At Halle, Croatia’s Ivo Karlovic broke the record for most aces served in a three-set ATP Tour match in his victory over Czech Tomas Berdych at the Gerry Weber Open.
The world No 27 fired 45 aces in a 7-5 6-7 (8-10) 6-3 win over the third seed and will play seven-time champion Roger Federer in the semi-finals after the Swiss star beat Florian Mayer 6-0 7-6 (7-1).
French fourth seed Gael Monfils retired injured when trailing 6-1 1-0 to Italy’s Andreas Seppi, who goes on to face face Japanese second seed Kei Nishikori, a 6-45-7 6-3 winner over Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz.
At the Aegon Classic in Birmingham, France’s Kristina Mladenovic stunned top seed Simona Halep 2-6 6-0 7-6 (7-4).
Mladenovic will face the Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova, who saw off third seed Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2 6-2 in just over an hour.
Germany’s Angelique Kerber beat another Czech, Katerina Siniakova, 6-2 6-4 and will meet compatriot Sabine Lisicki in today’s semi-final after her 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 win over Daniela Hantuchova.