Sharapova hoping for reduced ban at CAS verdict on Tuesday

10/04/2016

Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova is set to attend a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sports on Tuesday to appeal against the two-year ban imposed on her by the ITF. In case of a favorable verdict, the 29-year old could be ready to play in next year's Wimbledon or the French Open.

After testing Maria Sharapova's samples at the Australian Open in January and during an out-of-competition test in Moscow in February, anti-doping authorities have confirmed the presence of Meldonium, a banned substance, which led to further investigation by a disciplinary committee. After receiving the committee's report, the International Tennis Federation(ITF) had issued an official statement in June, 2016 banning Sharapova until January 25, 2018.

Following this, Sharapova had appealed against her ban saying that she had taken the drug as prescribed by her doctor. She and her manager claimed that they did not check the email sent by anti-doping authorities at the end of 2015, containing the updated list of banned substances. After attending a hearing last month in New York, Sharapova will now attend a hearing in the Court of Arbitration for Sports on Tuesday which will deliver the final verdict on her ban.

There are chances that the 29-year old could get a verdict in her favour if the CAS finds her usage of the drug to be accidental. Earlier, Sharapova and her trainer claimed that the doctor had prescribed the drug in order to help her recover from frequent bouts of flu, possible onset of diabetes and magnesium deficiency.

In case of a favourable verdict, Sharapova could be ready by next year in time for Wimbledon or the French Open.