International Tennis Federation to Analyze Sharapova Doping Case

Seeing which has been the last word by WAA on the time limits for sanctions for those athletes who have consumed meldonium ITF may only "confirm that in the case of Maria Sharapova, the case will have a hearing, according to the WAA recommedations."

The communique of the international tennis organization did not include more details, until the whole process is definitely completed, just as usual in the doping cases in tennis, a sport with a lot of closed-door confidentiality.

Sharapova, number one in the world and champion of five Grand Slam tournaments, had announced herself that she had been given positive in an antidoping test during the celebration of the Australia Open in January. She was suspended immediately, and she does not know her immediate sanction.

Meldonium, a medication used to improve blood circulation, has been spreadly used in the old Soviet republics, and now, prohibited for competitive sport use, since January 1st, 2016, the date in which it enetered in the WAA official list of banned medications.

WAA, an organization based in Canada, announced Wednesday a modification in the regulations book on Meldonium, because of which, if it is definitely put in force, some of the ahtletes who were positive, might remain out of punishment.

According to the WAA, all athletes who gave positive by less than one microgram, millionth of a gram per milliliter of blood prior to March 1, 2016 shall be not liable.

In addition, WAA will consider cases with a concentration of 15 micrograms per milliliter before March 1 and with less than a microgram after that date. The change of the code is that it is not yet clear how long meldonium remains in the body.

Sharapova gave positive in January by very low levels of the drug, but the exact number is unknown. The Russian said that she took the drug regularly during the last decade under the strict supervision of a physician.