LONDON, June 8, 2016 – Maria Sharapova said on Wednesday she will appeal the two-year doping ban handed down to her by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for doping and which threatens to end her career. The 29-year-old tested positive for the controversial banned medication meldonium during January’s Australian Open. ”While the tribunal concluded correctly that I did not intentionally violate the anti-doping rules, I cannot accept an unfairly harsh two-year suspension,” Sharapova wrote on her Facebook page. ”The tribunal, whose members were selected by the ITF, agreed that I did not do anything intentionally wrong, yet they seek to keep me from playing tennis for two years. I will immediately appeal the suspension portion of this ruling to CAS, the Court of Arbitration for Sport.” In this Monday, May 2, 2016 file photo, Maria Sharapova arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala, celebrating the opening [...]
