The story appears on

Page A8

October 6, 2016

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

HomeSportsTennis

Sharapova targets April return

MARIA Sharapova hailed the reduction of her two-year doping ban as one of the “happiest days” of her life, immediately targeting a return to action in April 2017.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport cut Sharapova’s ban to 15 months saying she was not an “intentional doper,” after the 29-year-old tested positive for the banned medication meldonium during January’s Australian Open — throwing her glittering, money-spinning career into serious jeopardy.

“I’ve gone from one of the toughest days of my career last March, when I learned about my suspension, to now, one of my happiest days, as I found out I can return to tennis in April,” said Sharapova, who has racked up 35 WTA singles titles and more than US$36 million in career earnings. An April return — the ban is backdated to the positive test in January this year — means she would in theory be able to compete at the French Open in May-June next year.

“I have taken responsibility from the very beginning for not knowing that the over-the-counter supplement I had been taking for the last 10 years was no longer allowed,” Sharapova said in her Facebook post on Tuesday.

“I’m coming back soon and I can’t wait!” she said.

“In so many ways, I feel like something I love was taken away from me and it will feel really good to have it back. Tennis is my passion and I have missed it. I am counting the days until I can return to the court.”


 

Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

娌叕缃戝畨澶 31010602000204鍙

Email this to your friend