'Cheater' Maria Sharapovashouldbebanned for life saysEugenie Bouchard as Russianreturnswith a win
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Maria Sharapovablows a kissafterwinning 7-5, 6-3 againstItaly's Roberta Vinci Credit: AP
- Simon Briggs, Tennis Correspondent , Stuttgart
- Charlie Eccleshare, (live updates)
26 April 2017 • 7:40pm
Defiance has been the keynote of Maria Sharapova’sresponse to her doping ban, and itwasdefiancethatcharacterisedherdealingswith the media on Wednesday night, aftershehadcelebratedher return to the Tour with a 7-5, 6-3 victory.
In a frostypressconference, Sharapovarefused to distance herselffrom the words of her manager Max Eisenbud, who last weekaccused “‘journeyman’ playerslike [Agnieszka] Radwanska and [Caroline] Wozniacki” of trying to keepher out of the French Open for theirown ends.
“I can’t control mymanager’swords,” Sharapovareplied, whenasked if sheagreedwithEisenbud’sassessment. “He has been watchingeverybody’scomments for the past 15 months and heisentitled to his opinion.”
On the court, Sharapovashowedsigns of rust in the early stages, but leantheavily on an improved service action – whichhelpedherdeliver 11 aces in the match – to claim a straight-sets win over Roberta Vinci.
There wereclearly nerves at the outset, judging by the wayshe gave up a 2-0 lead in the first set, and the intensity of herfist-pumpingcelebrationafter the job had been completed. But another test thenawaitedher off the court as shefaced an open-floor media event – with no vetting of questions – for the first time since last year’sAustralian Open.
Sharapovaremainedpoised and polished, only once groaningwhena reporter from The Sun identifiedhimself and joking: “I don’tthink The Sun has ever been in Stuttgart have they?” But shehad no intention of displaying regret or contrition. “It’s not my job to take [criticism] whetherit’spersonal or not,” shesaid. “Words, quotes and articles is not whatmatters in life and I’velearntthatverywell in the pastyear.”
On the specificmedical issue of meldonium – whichshe claims wasprescribed to herbecause of cardiacirregularities and afamilyhistory of diabetes – Sharapovadeclined to revealwhethershehadfound a permitted alternative. “That information isbetweenmyself, the Women’s Tennis Association and the orthopaedicdoctorI’mworkingwith,” shereplied.
But Sharapovadidinsistthatshewas not bitter about the time shehadspent out of the game. “I am not an individualwhoisangry,” shesaid. “I wasverymuchpresent in my life. I wasstudying, I wasworking, I wasformingfriendships. As a woman, as a 29-year-old, itwasveryliberating.
Sharapovacelebrateswinning a point against Vinci Credit: Rex
“I can’t control what people say. The onlything I can control iswhat I do out there. I’malwaysprepared to walk the walk. I’vedonethat by winning five grand slams and being No 1 in the world.”
The recentill-feeling about Sharapova’s return has not revolvedaround the doping test itself but the wildcardsshe has receivedfrom Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome. The French Tennis Federation has yet to revealwhetheritwilloffer an invitation to Roland Garros, but an announcementis to be broadcast via Facebook Live on May 16.
“I’ve been offeredwildcardsfrom the tournamentdirectors and I’macceptingthem to be able to compete in the draw,” Sharapovasaid. “I’mcomingwith no ranking and I’m not getting a wildcard to receive a trophyor a golden platter. I have to getthrough the matches and I still have to winthem. ”
WouldSharapovabeprepared to enter the qualifyingtournament at the French Open – and if necessary at Wimbledon too? “I thinkI’dbeprepared to play in the juniors if I had to,” shereplied. “Everyoneknowswhat a competitor I am.”
It wassomehowtypical of thismurky saga thatSharapova’ssuccessful return shouldcoincidewith the mostcriticalassessmentwe have heardfromany of herpeers. In an online interview from the Istanbul Cup, Eugenie Bouchard suggestedthatSharapovashould not beallowed to return to the sport at all.
Sharapovawas a deserving winner
“I don’tthinkit’s right,” Bouchard said, whenasked about Sharapova’s comeback. “She’s a cheater and I don’tthink a cheater in any sport shouldbeallowed to playthat sport again. It’ssounfair to all the otherplayerswho do it the right way and are true.
“I thinkfrom the WTA itsends the wrong message to young kids: ‘cheat and we’llwelcomeyou back with open arms’. I don’tthinkthat’s right and she’sdefinitely not someone I cansay I look up to anymorebecauseit’sdefinitelyruinedit for me a little bit.”
Bouchard can look forward to protests and perhapsevenlegalletters, as the Court of Arbitration for Sport specificallyruledthatSharapova’s doping wasinadvertent – and soitis false to label Sharapova a ‘cheater’. Still, Bouchard gives the impression thatsheis as unconcerned about popularity in the locker-room as Sharapovaherself, and shewill not beeasilyintimidated.
After all the debate, SharapovawillplayherfellowRussian and meldonium sympathiser Ekaterina Makarova on Thursday. As we move into the second round, Sharapova and hergrunts are once again part of the sights and sounds of the tour. And while the crowd at the Porsche-Arenaofferedonlymuted support on Wednesday, the regular WTA events are in desperateneed of her star quality. The absence of grand-slam champions Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka and Petra Kvitovaonlyenhancesherappeal.
Meanwhile Johanna Kontasaidshewas happy to be “getting back to normality” on Wednesdayafterrecording an opening-round win over Naomi Osaka. Shewasreferring to her switch from the wildfrontierthatwas Constanta for the Fed Cuptieagainst Romania to the much more respectfulenvironment of the Porsche-Arena, whereshe won 7-6, 3-6, 6-1.