Sharapova in US Open tilt

FORMER world No.1 Maria Sharapova will make her first grand slam appearance in more than 18 months after she was awarded a main-draw wildcard for the upcoming US Open.

The 30-year-old, who returned from a 15-month doping ban earlier this year, was denied a wildcard at the French Open, then missed the grasscourt season. Sharapova tested positive for the drug meldonium in 2016 , which had been added to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned substances list that year.