She was technically only on illegal PEDs for one tournament, which she didn't win. The decade of meldonium usage previous to that is in the grey area of "technically legal, ethically dubious".
There's been talk of a rule limiting WCs for players returning from doping bans but it'll take a while to institute regardless. The WTA has pretty much welcomed her back with open arms in terms of their own statements, bending the rules to allow her to enter Stüttgart specifically (her ban didn't end until after the event began) and encouragement of the hype - if it weren't for several players and a handful of journalists actually speaking up, you could well believe she'd just been away because of injury. There's no recognition that being banned for a doping violation should actually have an effect on a player's reputation and how she's spoken about.
In terms of tennis players coming back from doping bans, I think only Troicki got a couple of ATP WCs through being Djokovic's mate, which weren't that popular, but he mostly had to rebuild his ranking through Challengers. Karatantcheva got absolutely nothing after her two-year ban.
We'll see what the FFT do about an RG WC next month...they've talked tough so far and the French players have been among Sharapova's more prominent critics.
― lex pretend, Thursday, 27 April 2017 11:39 (seven years ago) link
hasn't she been on it basically as long as shes been on tour? don't think she won any event since the date it was announced as a banned substance xp word
― johnny crunch, Thursday, 27 April 2017 11:40 (seven years ago) link
She can't complain about her draw in Stuttgart, all players in her section are/were either massively out of form or out of their depth on the surface, or both. Vinci/Makarova/Kontaveit is a cakewalk on paper, and the alternative opponents would have been so as well (2017 really could have, should have been Muguruza's year.)
― oh, boy, .GIF! That's where I'm a Viking! (edwardo), Friday, 28 April 2017 07:29 (seven years ago) link
Went to the cinema with Mladenovic a set and 2 games down. What a result!
― cerealbar, Saturday, 29 April 2017 17:11 (seven years ago) link
Fucking heroine, that Kiki
― lex pretend, Saturday, 29 April 2017 21:09 (seven years ago) link
What happened to Maria's much-vaunted three-set record? Not that visible stamina dip in the decider.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C-8SqYEXoAAFgYf.jpg:large
― johnny crunch, Sunday, 7 May 2017 00:24 (seven years ago) link
Simon d. Monfils 0-6, 6-0, 7-6(0)
A bagel, a reverse bagel, a tiebreak bagel. A perfect scoreline. I'm so privileged to see this day.
― lex pretend, Monday, 8 May 2017 14:39 (seven years ago) link
Marvellous. I see Monfils was 3-0 up in the decider, so 6-0 0-6 6-0 was a possibility for a while (he had MPs serving at 5-3). I trust he missed one by letting a lob drop over his shoulder and then pirouetting to hit a leftie BH while facing the wrong way. Or something.
― Michael Jones, Monday, 8 May 2017 14:58 (seven years ago) link
Sharapova getting dragged on the court by the exact same girls who dragged her off it. Delicious. Bouchard's press conferences have been gems of late.
― lex pretend, Tuesday, 9 May 2017 06:43 (seven years ago) link
It feels a little weird to root for Bouchard but HELL YEAH BOUCHARD
― lag∞n (DJP), Tuesday, 9 May 2017 13:48 (seven years ago) link
I also see that Suarez-Navarro beat Woz
― lag∞n (DJP), Tuesday, 9 May 2017 13:49 (seven years ago) link
excepting davis cup, novak has not won a match in straight sets in a whiiile
― johnny crunch, Wednesday, 10 May 2017 14:44 (seven years ago) link
there were some incred matches today & cilic/zverev 3d set rn is a battle, also stan/paire going 3
― johnny crunch, Wednesday, 10 May 2017 21:20 (seven years ago) link
great win by paire
― johnny crunch, Wednesday, 10 May 2017 21:41 (seven years ago) link
rafa/novak tomorrow
novak hasn't dropped a set to rafa since 2014, though still is (probably correctly) roughly a 2/1 or 2.5/1 betting favorite
― johnny crunch, Friday, 12 May 2017 18:38 (seven years ago) link
rafa is the fav i phrased that poorly
― johnny crunch, Friday, 12 May 2017 18:42 (seven years ago) link
First ATP top 100 player to come out as gay: Brian Vahaly
http://www.outsports.com/2017/5/12/15626904/former-pro-tennis-player-brian-vahaly-talks-about-being-gay
I remember him from some mid-00s draws but not much beyond.
Gambill hasn't technically come out I guess?
― lex pretend, Friday, 12 May 2017 18:58 (seven years ago) link
thiem rn hits the most/cleanest winners on clay possibly? dude is impressve
― johnny crunch, Friday, 12 May 2017 21:01 (seven years ago) link
Vahaly beat Gonzalez, Ferrero and Robredo at Indian Wells in 2003 - which is a hell of a run - only to lose to... VINCE SPADEA in the quarters.
Also beat Michael Chang in a Challenger in Tazana, CA the previous year, but Chang was just about to slip out of top 100 for the last time.
― Michael Jones, Friday, 12 May 2017 21:35 (seven years ago) link
murray out 2 and 4 to fognini @ roma
― johnny crunch, Tuesday, 16 May 2017 21:38 (seven years ago) link
is anyone good at tennis anymore
― k3vin k., Tuesday, 16 May 2017 21:40 (seven years ago) link
Nadal
― PJD PDJ DPJ (DJP), Tuesday, 16 May 2017 21:41 (seven years ago) link
i just looked up fognini because it feels like he's been on tour for 20 years and i was surprised to discover that he's actually younger than murray
― k3vin k., Tuesday, 16 May 2017 21:43 (seven years ago) link
It's kind of remarkable how Murray and Djokovic are slumping simultaneously. If I had to guess I'd say it stems from Djokovic taking his foot off the pedal after holding all 4, plus his personal life issues; and that Murray weirdly thrived on being the fourth wheel of the Big Four and hasn't adjusted, or can't adjust, to being the nominal leader.
FFT coming through with that moral guardianship of the sport and DENYING Sharapova even a qualifying WC for RG! I cackled when they read out 14-year-old unranked Yasmine Mansouri's name in the QWCs and not Sharapova's.
― lex pretend, Wednesday, 17 May 2017 10:11 (seven years ago) link
thiem/nadal again tmorrow
plus delpo/novak & zverev/milos are v juicy
― johnny crunch, Thursday, 18 May 2017 22:17 (seven years ago) link
3rd time's a charm for thiem, hope they play again @ the french
― johnny crunch, Friday, 19 May 2017 16:14 (seven years ago) link
Zverev! Youngest Masters finalist in 10 years (since Djokovic won Miami 2007)
― lex pretend, Saturday, 20 May 2017 15:30 (seven years ago) link
novak is destroying thiem
― johnny crunch, Saturday, 20 May 2017 18:33 (seven years ago) link
supposing this continues & he beats zverev 2morrow, this is a nice run to become a def factor @ roland garros, whereas like a week ago it wasnt so clear
― johnny crunch, Saturday, 20 May 2017 19:00 (seven years ago) link
Great to have a new, young champion at this level in the week the entire ATP top five goes 30something.
― Michael Jones, Monday, 22 May 2017 15:04 (seven years ago) link
#MercedesCup 2R @TommyHaas13 (39) vs @RogerFederer (35) is oldest @ATPWorldTour match since 1982 Vina del Mar R. Cano (30) d. L. Ayala (49).
― johnny crunch, Tuesday, 13 June 2017 17:13 (seven years ago) link
how is Hass only 39
― a butt groove but for feet (DJP), Tuesday, 13 June 2017 17:45 (seven years ago) link
wtf *Haas
― a butt groove but for feet (DJP), Tuesday, 13 June 2017 17:46 (seven years ago) link
of course haas wins
― johnny crunch, Wednesday, 14 June 2017 17:10 (seven years ago) link
lmao murray/raonic/stan all upset @ 1st rd queens club
― johnny crunch, Tuesday, 20 June 2017 19:20 (seven years ago) link
Watched all three (thanks BBC2!) - not exactly classics I have to say. Only Deliciano looked in any decent nick (his tennis was alright too, hur hur)
― katstevens, Tuesday, 20 June 2017 21:15 (seven years ago) link
lol my friends mom calls him that also, id love to see him make a deep run @ wimbledon
― johnny crunch, Wednesday, 21 June 2017 02:37 (seven years ago) link
Same! He did a couple of really lovely volleys against Stan (who looked pretty sluggish).
― katstevens, Wednesday, 21 June 2017 08:50 (seven years ago) link
Any excuse to roll out my photo of Felle Fel from London 2012...
(I hope he wins this)
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8159/7680196476_325ee3c8aa_b.jpg
― Michael Jones, Wednesday, 21 June 2017 09:06 (seven years ago) link
strong field in dc this yr
kei v del potro tmorrow 3rd rd & likely kyrgios v sasha zverev also
― johnny crunch, Thursday, 3 August 2017 01:05 (seven years ago) link
bhambri/monfils is really entertaining
― johnny crunch, Thursday, 3 August 2017 02:25 (seven years ago) link
yuki!
― johnny crunch, Thursday, 3 August 2017 02:50 (seven years ago) link
mens side dropping like flies, stans 2017 is over also :(
― johnny crunch, Friday, 4 August 2017 15:07 (seven years ago) link
thiem/schwartzman has been really interesting
― johnny crunch, Wednesday, 9 August 2017 01:50 (seven years ago) link
diego w two great loong defensive rallies to save set pts 2nd set
― johnny crunch, Wednesday, 9 August 2017 02:13 (seven years ago) link
diego back from 2-5 down to now be serving for the match 3d set
― johnny crunch, Wednesday, 9 August 2017 03:24 (seven years ago) link
ppl have been really critical of thiem on twitter this match but imo it more shows how slow these hardcourts are that he cant hit thru diego when he can hit thru p much anyone; his 2nd serve has also been p bad tho tbf
― johnny crunch, Wednesday, 9 August 2017 03:26 (seven years ago) link
ok that was dreadful lmao
sasha saves match pt vs gasquet in 49 shot rally
― johnny crunch, Thursday, 10 August 2017 00:06 (seven years ago) link