Increase blood testing to avoid doping: FedEx
Roger Federer wants more blood testing done in tennis to help keep the sport clear of doping, the 17-time Grand Slam champion said on the eve of the ATP World Tour Finals.
Britain's newly-crowned US Open champion Andy Murray raised the subject this week at the Paris Masters, suggesting there needed to be more out-of-competition checks.
World Tour Finals title holder Federer said his Scottish rival had a point.
"I feel I’m being less tested this time now than six, seven, eight years ago,” the Swiss told a news conference at London’s O2 Arena.
“I don’t know the exact reasons why we are being tested less and at this moment I agree with Andy, we don’t do a lot of blood testing during the year.
“I think it’s important to have enough tests. I don’t like it when I’m only getting tested whatever number it is, which I don’t think is enough or sufficient during the year so I think we should up it a little bit or a lot,” Federer added.
“It’s key and vital the sport stays clean. It’s got to. We have a good history in terms of that and we want to make sure it stays that way.”
According to figures on its website the International Tennis Federation, the sport’s governing body, carried out only 21 out-of-competition blood tests in the professional game in 2011.
Cycling’s governing body the UCI carried out more than 3,314 out-of-competition blood tests in the same year.
Petrova crowned
Russia’s Nadia Petrova thrashed top-seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-1 in Sofia on Sunday to secure her maiden Tournament of Champions trophy and a 13th career title.
It was the 30-year-old’s third tournament victory of the year after winning a Wimbledon warm-up event in Den Bosch, Netherlands and the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo in September.
“It’s a great way to finish the season,” Petrova said after receiving the trophy.
Winning the season-ending WTA event at the Armeets Arena in Sofia earned second seed Petrova a cheque for $270,000 and helped her rise one place in the world rankings to 12th.
Wozniacki began 2012 as the world number one but endured a mediocre season and had to wait until September to land her first trophy of the year at the Korea Open.
The Dane then won the Kremlin Cup in October.
