Tennis considers adopting same anti-doping tests used in cycling

Andy Murray is in favor of additional drug testing in tennis, which is being considered by the International Tennis Association. (Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) is considering adopting the same blood tests used in cycling to identify doping violators, reports the Associated Press:

"We are looking very, very carefully at an athlete biological passport program in tennis," International Tennis Federation anti-doping manager Stuart Miller told The Associated Press. "We're looking at it to ensure that if we do run it, we can run it properly."

The majority of tests in tennis in 2011 were urine (2,019 out of 2,150); Miller said the ITF is working toward more blood and out-of-competition tests.

Andy Murray and Roger Federer are both in favor of more testing in tennis. Murray said that Lance Armstrong's case was "pretty shocking." He said, "You would hate for anything like that to happen to your own sport."

The kind of tests being considered are biological passport programs that monitor  blood readings over time for indications of doping.