Sharapova In Line For RG Qualifying Wild Card

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Sharapova In Line For RG Qualifying Wild Card

Maria Sharapova's Roland Garros return could be an outer-court affair.

The two-time Roland Garros champion will be awarded a wild card into the French Open qualifying rather than the main draw, The Daily Telegraph's Simon Briggs reports.

Vinci: No Wild Cards For Sharapova

French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli met Sharapova in Los Angeles last month "and sounded unconvinced about her suitability for a main-draw wild card," the Telegraph reports.

"Only guarantee I gave her is to call her beforehand," Guidicelli said. "There is no reason why we should make an exception for Maria Sharapova, there is no reason why we should announce a wild card before the others."

Roland Garros will announce wild cards on May 16th.

In March, Giudicelli strongly suggested the FFT won’t be welcoming Sharapova with a wild card—though he told French publication L’Equipe a final decision has not yet been made.

The FFT president said it’s hypocritical for tennis to tout investing millions in anti-doping measures then serve up wild cards to players who have been banned for doping.

“We can't invest a million and a half Euros in the fight against anti-doping and then invite a player sanctioned for the consumption of a prohibited product,” Giudicelli told L’Equipe. “It's complicated. We prefer that she returns completely rehabilitated.

“Integrity is one of our strong points. We cannot decide, on the one hand, to increase the amount of funds we dedicate to the anti-doping battle and, on the other, invite her.”

Several players, including world No. 1 Andy Murray, Angelique Kerber, Caroline Wozniacki, Agnieszka Radwanska and Roberta Vinci have publicly opposed Sharapova receiving wild cards coming off a 15-month doping suspension.

The 30-year-old Russian launches her comeback in Stuttgart against Vinci tomorrow. Sharapova is playing Stuttgart on a wild card and has received wild cards into Madrid and Rome.

Photo credit: AFP

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