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Breaking News: Maria Sharapova banned for two years for failed drugs test

Maria Sharapova has been banned from playing tennis for two years by the International Tennis Federation after she tested positive for meldonium at the Australian Open in January..

The heart disease drug, which 29-year-old Sharapova says she has been taking since 2006 for health issues, became a banned substance on 1 January 2016.

The ban has been backdated to January 26, the day the Russian failed her drugs test in Melbourne - meaning it will end on January 25, 2018. 

The five-time Grand Slam winner says she will appeal against the ban. She wrote on Facebook "I cannot accept an unfairly harsh two-year suspension," 

"With their decision of a two-year suspension, the ITF tribunal unanimously concluded that what I did was not intentional.

"The ITF asked the tribunal to suspend me for four years - the required suspension for an intentional violation - and the tribunal rejected the ITF's position.

"I intend to stand for what I believe is right and that's why I will fight to be back on the tennis court as soon as possible."

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