Sharapova lawyer confident of ban leniency: Report

LONDON — Days after stunning the sports world by announcing she had failed a drug test at the Australian Open in January, Maria Sharapova thanked her fans for their “wonderful words” that put a smile on her face.

The Russian faces a ban of up to four years pending an investigation by the International Tennis Federation after testing positive for meldonium, which some researchers have linked to increased athletic performance and endurance.

“I woke up yesterday morning with an inbox, in full capacity of love and compassion,” five-times grand slam champion Sharapova, 28, posted on Facebook. “In this moment, I am so proud to call you my fans.
“Within hours of my announcement, you showed me support and loyalty, which I could only expect to hear when someone would be at the top of their profession. I wanted to let you know that your wonderful words put a smile on my face.
“I’d like to play again and hope to have the chance to do so. Your messages give me great encouragement. This message isn’t anything else but to say thank you. Thank you very much.”
Maria Sharapova’s lawyer is confident he can secure a lenient punishment for the Russian superstar who stunned international sport with her drug test failure confession.
The five-time Grand Slam title winner, and the highest-earning sportswoman in the world, admitted on Monday (March 7) that she had tested positive for the banned substance meldonium.
She could face a ban of up to four years which would effectively end a career which has brought her an estimated personal fortune of US$200 million (S$276 million).
But her lawyer John J Haggerty believes Sharapova can plead a number of mitigating circumstances after admitting taking the substance since 2006 but then being unaware that it was placed on the banned list only in January this year.
“Maria and I are looking at all of her options,” Haggerty told the Daily Telegraph
One option is for her legal team to claim a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).
Although it’s usually sought on medical grounds before a banned medication is taken, it’s understood that since Sharapova had been using meldonium for 10 years before world anti-doping agency (WADA) placed it on the banned list, she could have grounds for a retrospective application.

Sharapova said she originally began taking meldonium for a variety of symptoms, including a tendency to become ill often, an irregular EKG heart test and a family history of diabetes.
“There is no evidence whatsoever that this was intentional on Maria’s behalf,” added Haggerty on Wednesday.
“Therefore that immediately reduces it (ban) down to two years as a maximum. I believe that there are substantial mitigating factors that require a further reduction from two years down to significantly below that.
“The doctor’s diagnosis and his treatment recommendations were consistent and medically necessary.”
Haggerty added: “Maria’s medical records, which will be presented to the International Tennis Federation (ITF), do make it clear that the medical treatment was necessary and recommended by her doctor.
“And the dosage Maria was taking was substantially less than any dosage that has been linked with the performance-enhancing attributes of mildronate (another term for meldonium).”
Sharapova, who has struggled with multiple injuries in recent years but is known for her never-say-die approach to the game, said she was prepared to battle through her latest setback.
“New day, new start,” the former world number one wrote on Facebook. “It is fair to say that this day was not average.
“Nothing came to mind at 6am, except that I am determined to play tennis again and I hope I will have the chance to do so. I wish I didn’t have to go through this, but I do – and I will.
“I needed to sweat, to push through and grind as I have done most of my life, so I made my way to the gym. That’s when I realized a bunch of tinted windowed cars were following me. The good old paparazzi, back on the trail.” REUTERS, AFP