Sharapova back in U.S. Open field

Maria Sharapova was granted a wild card invitation yesterday for the U.S. Open’s main draw and will take part in a Grand Slam tennis event for the first time in more than 11⁄2 years.

Sharapova is among eight women given entry into the 128-player field by the U.S. Tennis Association — and by far the most noteworthy.

The former No. 1-ranked player and owner of five major titles, including the 2006 U.S. Open, has not entered a major tournament since the Australian Open in January 2016, when she tested positive for the newly banned drug meldonium.

That led to a 15-month doping ban, which expired in April. She returned to the tour, but her ranking — currently 148th — was too low to allow entry into major tournaments, and the French Open denied her a wild card. Sharapova planned to try to qualify for Wimbledon, but the 30-year-old Russian wound up skipping the grass-court portion of the season because of an injured left thigh.

The USTA didn’t consider her suspension in awarding the wild card, saying it was following past practice of granting them to former U.S. Open champions who needed them, such as Martina Hingis, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Cljisters and Juan Martin del Potro . . . .

Del Potro advanced to the second round of the Western & Southern Open with a 3-6, 7-6 (1), 6-0 upset of Tomas Berdych in Mason, Ohio.

APPHOTO CHAMPIONING HER CAUSE: Maria Sharapova, who won the U.S. Open in 2006, was granted a wild card entry into this year’s field.