Sharapova Appeals against Two-Year Ban to CAS, Decision to Be Declared on July 18

New Delhi: Russian tennis sensation Maria Sharapova has appealed to the Court Of Arbitration For Sport (CAS) against her two-year ban. Reports are that the tennis star has lodged an appeal to the court seeking complete wipe out or reduction of the two-year long ban. Sharapova was banned from her tennis career by International Tennis Federation (ITF) last week after she was found using banned drug meldonium during Australian open this January.

“In her appeal to the CAS, Ms Sharapova seeks the annulment of the Tribunal’s decision to sanction her with a two-year period of ineligibility further to an anti-doping rule violation,” said the court’s authority. “Ms Sharapova submits that the period of ineligibility should be eliminated, or in the alternative, reduced,” the statement added but also noted that the final decision will be declared by the court on July 18.

Reports are that there are Sharapova still harbors her hopes for Rio Olympics in Rio De Janiero in August. Following her ban announced by ITF, she has termed the ban as ‘unfairly harsh’. “While the tribunal concluded correctly that I did not intentionally violate the anti-doping rules, I cannot accept an unfairly harsh two-year suspension,” the 29-year-old tennis star has asserted in her Facebook page.

Meldonium was added to the banned drug list in January 1, 2016. However, Sharapova said that she was oblivion of the rule and has been taking the drug for long 10 years for heart problem and hereditary magnesium deficiency.