Maria Sharapova submits appeal over two-year ban from tennis

Maria Sharapova at a press conference on March 7, 2016
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Five-time Grand Slam tennis star Maria Sharapova submits an appeal over her two-year doping ban from tennis.

Five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova has submitted an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport over her two-year ban from tennis.

The International Tennis Federation issued the ban last week after Sharapova tested positive for meldonium in January.

The Russian sportswoman admitted that she had been taking the heart disease drug since 2006 for health reasons, but neglected to check the updated list of banned substances, which included meldonium at the start of 2016.

Sharapova's lawyer has said in a statement that the 29-year-old was handed an "unfairly harsh suspension because she is such a famous athlete and they wanted to make an example out of her," according to BBC Sport.

CAS will rule on the appeal on July 18.

Maria Sharapova of Russia plays a forehand in her second-round match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus during day three of the 2016 Australian Open  on January 20, 2016
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