Maria Sharapova’s Doping Ban Reduced By 9 Months

[caption id="attachment_12408" align="alignnone" width="690"]Maria Sharapova[/caption]

Russian tennis star, Maria Sharapova’s two-year doping ban has been reduced to 15 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the original penalty was disproportionately harsh for an infraction that Sharapova committed unintentionally.

The ruling means the five-time Grand Slam winner will be available to compete at the French Open in Paris on 26 April, 2017.

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“I am counting the days until I can return,” 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.”

The former world number one was initially banned by the International Tennis Federation for two years after testing positive for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open.

She admitted taking meldonium for 10 years but said it was to help treat illnesses, a heart issue and a magnesium deficiency.

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