Sharapova warned of hostility

THE last notable female player to return from a doping ban has warned Maria Sharapova she will face a hostile locker room when she comes back. World No 20 Barbora Strycova is the latest to express misgivings about awarding tournament wildcards to the Russian and says Sharapova will be short of allies on tour. ‘I don’t think anyone is her friend. She doesn’t have them because she doesn’t talk to anybody,’ said the 31-year-old. In 2013 the Czech served a six-month suspension after testing positive for sibutramine, which she insists was accidentally ingested while she was taking a slimming product. Without the help of wildcards she managed to revive her career but emphasised that however much training Sharapova does, it cannot replicate a match situation. Strycova is one of many players perturbed that Sharapova already knows when she is playing at the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart, as her ban does not expire until Wednesday, April 26. Asked if she would be playing she replied: ‘I am and I hope to start on Wednesday!’ But Strycova added: ‘I think it’s not OK. You have to be punished. I don’t have anything against her. What I don’t like is the rules. Suddenly she can play Wednesday. We are coming from Fed Cup and we play on Tuesday. But of course she is Maria and what can you do? I will not get p***** off.’ Strycova says real competition will be a shock to Sharapova, adding: ‘I practised nine weeks and was so sore I couldn’t walk for three days.’ Meanwhile, Roger Federer last night needed to save two match points in a sudden death tiebreak when he beat Tomas Berdych 6-2 3-6 7-6 to make the Miami Open semi-final. He joins Rafa Nadal, who overcame Jack Sock 6-2, 6-3. Nadal and Federer could meet in the final.