Sharapova ban raises questions

The folks who run the sport of tennis do not have a hard-and-fast rule that would apply to Maria Sharapova and others in her shoes, something along the lines of: When returning from a drug suspension with a ranking too low to earn access to tournaments, a player is (or is not) entitled to wild-card entries.

The way things are now, it is up to each individual tournament to elect whether to invite players under such circumstances. So Sharapova will not compete at the French Open after that country’s tennis federation announced Tuesday it opted not to allow the two-time champion into the field because of her recently concluded 15-month doping ban.

Many figured Sharapova would be permitted to play in Paris in the qualifying rounds, at the very least, if not in the main draw, which starts May 28.

She is, after all, the owner of a total of five major titles, a former No. 1-ranked player and one of the world’s most recognizable athletes. And she did, after all, return to the WTA tour last month; she tested positive for the newly banned drug meldonium at the Australian Open in January 2016.

“This suspension is over and she can take her path toward new success,” French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli said. “But while there can be a wild card for return from injury, there can’t be a wild card for return from doping.”

NFL

HERNANDEZ’S FIANCEE SAYS HE WASN’T GAY» Former NFL player Aaron Hernandez said rumors that he was gay or bisexual were not true, his former fiancee said in an interview on the “Dr. Phil” show that aired Tuesday.

Shayanna JenkinsHernandez made the remark during the second part of a two-part interview with host Dr. Phillip McGraw. The first part aired on Monday.

Jenkins-Hernandez said Hernandez denied the rumors during a conversation she had with him about his sexuality. She said Hernandez was “very much a man” to her and called the rumors “embarrassing” and “hurtful.”

“If that was him, I wouldn’t fault him for that . ... We’re in 2017. There are so many people that are coming out,” she said.

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Municipal Court Judge Dwane Mallory dismissed misdemeanor counts of assault and disorderly conduct at the prosecutor’s request after a plea agreement.

NHL

PREDATORS TOP DUCKS» Roman Josi scored a power-play goal with 2:43 left, and the Nashville Predators rallied to beat the Anaheim Ducks, 2-1, in their first-ever home game in the Western Conference finals.

The Predators grabbed a 2-1 lead in the series with their 10th straight home win in the postseason going back to last season.

NBA

GOLDEN STATE HAMMERS SAN ANTONIO» Stephen Curry had 29 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in three quarters and the Golden State Warriors trounced on the Spurs missing Kawhi Leonard, running away from San Antonio for a 136-100 rout and 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Kevin Durant added 16 points and Draymond Green provided another strong all-around performance with 13 points and nine rebounds.