Sharapova Doping Appeal Postponed, Misses Olympics

(ATR) Maria Sharapova will not participate in the Rio Games after her appeal against a two-year ban for doping was deferred until September.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Monday that the Russian tennis star and International Tennis Federation had agreed to postpone the decision which was due July 18.

"Due to the parties requiring additional time to complete and respond to their respective evidentiary submissions, and several scheduling conflicts, the parties have agreed not to expedite the appeal," CAS said in a statement.

The announcement rules her out of the Rio Olympics and the U.S. Open.CAS said its ruling is expected by Sept. 19.

The head of the Russian Tennis Federation Shamil Tarpishchev expressed disappointment at the postponement of Sharapova's appeal."Sharapova’s absence is a loss for our national team at the Olympics. We hoped for her medal in singles," he told TASS, Russia's state-run news agency.

Thefive-time Grand Slam championwas handed a two-year ban in June after testing positive for meldonium at the Australian Open in January. She lodged an appeal with CAS last month, seeking an expedited procedurein a bid to overturn or reduce her suspension from international tennis. Annulment of the ban would have allowed her to compete at the Rio Games.

The former world No. 1 player admitted at a press conference in March she had not realized meldonium, a drug she had been taking since 2006, was put on WADA’s banned list at the start of 2016.

One of only 10 women to win a career Grand Slam, Sharapova won a silver medal at the London 2012 Olympics.

Reported by Mark Bisson

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