GO ON MARIA, SHAME THE USA

IT is to be hoped that Maria Sharapova goes on to win the US Open. That way the United States Tennis Association can be left with a permanent record book reminder of what can happen when you prioritise commercial considerations above trivial matters such as doping bans. No surprise, either, that the American crowd welcomed her warmly. Alex Rodriguez was the highest-paid player in baseball; Justin Gatlin is America’s world champion sprinter. The United States is not as vexed by drugs in sport as it would like the world to believe.