Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova on Tuesday 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 next year.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) 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 at 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 35 WTA singles titles and more than US$36 million in career earnings.
Photo: AFP
Reducing the ban after she appealed, the Lausanne-based CAS “found that Ms Sharapova committed an anti-doping rule violation and that while it was with ‘no significant fault,’ she bore some degree of fault, for which a sanction of 15 months is appropriate.”
In the panel’s more detailed, formal decision, it said: “Under no circumstances ... can the player be considered to be an ‘intentional doper.’”
JAPAN OPEN
AP and Reuters, TOKYO
With temperatures soaring, Nick Kyrgios made sure an injured fan at the Japan Open had plenty of water.
The sixth-seeded Australian yesterday advanced to the second round by beating US qualifier Ryan Harrison 7-5, 6-2, but the match was suspended for about 10 minutes in the first set after a fan fell on some steps in the stands.
Kyrgios sent some water up to the injured spectator while temperatures rose to 31oC at the start of the second set.
Kyrgios next faces Czech veteran Radek Stepanek, who beat Stephane Robert 6-2, 6-1.
Second-seeded Gael Monfils also advanced, defeating Japanese wild-card entry Yuichi Sugita 6-3, 6-1.
However, top seed and home favorite Kei Nishikori was forced to retire from his second-round encounter with Portugal’s Joao Sousa after he sustained a buttock muscle injury while leading the first set 4-3.
Having won the tournament in 2012 and 2014, the 26-year-old Nishikori was chasing his third Japan Open title, which would have put him one behind Stefan Edberg’s record four wins in Tokyo.
“It was hugely disappointing to have to retire from my match,” the world No. 5 said. “It is possible that the injury was due to an accumulation of fatigue and stress, but I came into this tournament with a lot of rest and feeling very ready. I will get examined and hope to recover in time for my next tournament.”
CHINA OPEN
Staff writer
Taiwan’s Chan sisters yesterday advanced to the third round of the women’s doubles at the China Open in Beijing, while Chuang Chia-jung and partner Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine were eliminated.
Chan Hao-ching and Chan Yung-jan defeated Vania King of the US and Romania’s Monica Niculescu 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 to set up a quarter-final against Spain’s Lara Arruabarrena and Oksana Kalashnikova of Georgia today.
Chuang and Bondarenko were beaten 6-1, 5-4 by Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova.
In the women’s singles Angelique Kerber beat Barbora Strycova 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), while in the men’s singles David Ferrer defeated Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-4.
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals at the All England Open, beating Kim Ga-eun of South Korea 21-17, 21-15. With the win, Tai earned a semi-final against China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Michelle Li of Canada 21-9, 21-9. Defending champion An Se-young defeated India’s P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 21-11. An on Wednesday cruised into the second round, unlike last year’s men’s winner, Li Shifeng, who suffered a shock defeat. South Korea’s An, the world No. 1, overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 21-16 to set up the match against Sindhu. In other women’s singles matches, Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun lost 21-18, 24-22 against Carolina Marin of
EYEING TOP SPOT: A victory in today’s final against Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova would return 38-year-old Hsieh Su-wei to the world No. 1 ranking Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens on Thursday secured a spot in the women’s doubles finals at the BNP Paribas Open after dispatching Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at Indian Wells. Hsieh and her Belgian partner Mertens, who won the Australian Open in late January, coasted through the first set after breaking their opponents’ serve twice, but found the going tougher in the second. Both pairs could only muster one break point over 12 games, neither of which were converted, leaving the set to be decided by a tiebreaker. Hsieh and Mertens took a 6-3 lead,
DOUBLES PAYBACK: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Martens avenged their defeat in the quarters at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open against Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium dispatched Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-4 to set up a clash against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez for a spot in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament. Hsieh and Martens made a blistering start to their rematch after they lost to Schuurs and Stefani in the quarter-finals at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month, winning three games without reply at the start of the first set