NOT ALL OPPONENTS OF SHARAPOVA ARE GLAD TO SEE HER BACK
stuttgart, germany» A day before Maria Sharapova was to play her first tennis match since being banned for doping, the debate about the Russian’s wild-card entry for the Porsche Grand Prix continued Tuesday.
Simona Halep and Alize Cornet joined the growing legion of players criticizing tournament organizers for offering Sharapova a direct spot in their main draws.
“For the kids, for the young players, it is not OK to help with a wild card the player that was banned for doping,” said the fifth-ranked Halep, adding that “it is not about Maria Sharapova here, but it is about all the players that are found doped.”
“I cannot support what the tournament director did, but also I cannot judge,” said Halep, who is seeded fourth and plays Barbora Strycova in the second round.
Cornet went a step further in comments published by French sports daily L’Equipe.
“Generally speaking, I find it shameful that the WTA is promoting a player who tested positive after all. It’s normal that people talk about her, she’s an immense champion, but from there to promoting her return to such an extent ... I find that unjust,” the 41st-ranked Frenchwoman said.
Sharapova’s 15-month suspension for the use of meldonium after the heart drug became a banned substance at the beginning of 2016, ends Wednesday. The five-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1 is scheduled to play Roberta Vinci in a first-round match at the tournament she won three times from 2012-14.
On Monday, Vinci joined the likes of Caroline Wozniacki, Dominika Cibulkova, Agnieszka Radwanska and Angelique Kerber in publicly opposing wild cards for players returning from a doping ban.
• Fourth-seeded Dominic Thiem of Austria cruised to a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Kyle Edmund of Britain to advance to the third round of the Barcelona Open.
Carolina’s Berry to return
B chapel hill, n.c.» North Carolina point guard and Final Four most outstanding player Joel Berry II is withdrawing from the NBA draft to return for his senior season.
The school announced Monday that Berry would join teammates Tony Bradley and Theo Pinson in declaring for the draft but wouldn’t hire an agent to maintain his college eligibility. But in a statement Tuesday, Berry said he had reversed course after conferring with his family and said he can prepare for the NBA by playing “against the best college competition in the country.”
• Kentucky freshman Bam Adebayo will hire an agent and stay in the NBA draft. He is the fifth Wildcat to leave school for the June draft.
Tirico to do Triple Crown duty.
Mike Tirico is taking the reins from Tom Hammond as a host of NBC’s Triple Crown horse racing coverage.
Tirico adds the job to his recently announced duties as host of the network’s prime-time Olympics coverage starting next winter in South Korea.
Hammond accepted a reduced role after covering racing for more than 30 years at the network. He turns 73 on May 10.
N.Y. bowler perfect, and fast
B cortland, n.y.» A New York bowler rolled a 300 game in less than 90 seconds. Ben Ketola hit 12 straight strikes in 86.9 seconds on April 5.
The 23-year-old raced from one lane to the next at the 10-lane facility and registered the strikes using a different ball on each lane. He used Lanes 1 and 2 twice.
Footnotes.
Workers are racing to complete the Atlanta Falcons’ new $1.5 billion stadium project in the next three months after ongoing roof issues have delayed the facility’s opening. … U.S. Tennis Association lead national coach Tom Gullikson is retiring from full-time coaching with the group’s development program.