Sharapova's Appeal Postponed, Won't Be In Olympics

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Published on July 12 2016 6:22 am
Last Updated on July 12 2016 6:22 am

By ESPN

A decision on Maria Sharapova's appeal of her two-year doping ban has been postponed until September, ruling her definitively out of the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport says Sharapova and the International Tennis Federation agreed to defer the decision, which had been due by July 18. A verdict is now expected by Sept. 19, according to CAS.

CAS said both parties wanted more time to prepare their cases and also cited "scheduling conflicts."

Sharapova, 29, a five-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1-ranked player, tested positive for meldonium at the Australian Open in January and received a two-year ban from the ITF. She filed an appeal last month, seeking to overturn or reduce the sanction.

The parties agreed then to an "expedited procedure" that would allow CAS to issue its ruling this month. Had the suspension been annulled, Sharapova would have been eligible for the Olympics in August.