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LONDON -- Maria Sharapova will be eligible to return to competitive tennis in April after her two-year doping ban was reduced to 15 months on Tuesday by a sports court that found the Russian star bore no significant fault for her positive drug test and did not intend to cheat.The Court of Arbitration for Sport cut nine months off the suspension imposed on Sharapova, who tested positive for the banned heart medication meldonium at the Australian Open in January.Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1-ranked player, appealed to CAS in June seeking to overturn or reduce the two-year penalty imposed by the International Tennis Federation.In a 28-page ruling , the CAS panel found that Sharapova bore some degree of fault but less than significant fault in the case that has sidelined one of the worlds most prominent and wealthy female athletes.The panel has determined, under the totality of the circumstances, that a sanction of 15 months is appropriate here given her degree of fault, the three-man arbitration body ruled.While Sharapova did commit a doping violation, under no circumstances ... can the player be considered to be an `intentional doper, the panel said.Sharapovas ban, which took effect on Jan. 26, was originally due to run until Jan. 25, 2018. Now she can return on April 26, 2017, a month ahead of the French Open, a Grand Slam tournament she has won twice.Ive gone from one of the toughest days of my career last March when I learned about my suspension to now, one of my happiest days, as I found out I can return to tennis in April, Sharapova said in a statement.In so many ways, I feel like something I love was taken away from me and it will feel really good to have it back, she added. Tennis is my passion and I have missed it. I am counting the days until I can return to the court.The doping suspension kept the 29-year-old Sharapova out of this years French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open, as well as the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She will also miss the 2017 Australian Open in January.Maria is absolutely one of the stars of the game, so shes missed when shes not available to play, WTA CEO Steve Simon told The Associated Press. Were very much looking forward to seeing her come back to the court next spring.Simon said Sharapova, who will have to rebuild her ranking from scratch, is entitled to unlimited wild cards based on her record. He expects her to be granted wild cards as soon as she is eligible, including for the French Open.I would be very surprised if there are too many tournaments that wouldnt extend her that opportunity, Simon said in a telephone interview. I think shell be able to work her way back onto the tour.Sharapova acknowledged taking meldonium before each match at last years Australian Open, where she lost in the quarterfinals to Serena Williams. The ITF said she also tested positive for meldonium in an out-of-competition control in Moscow on Feb. 2.Sharapova said she was not aware that meldonium, also known as mildronate, had been included on the World Anti-Doping Agencys list of banned substances from Jan. 1, 2016.Sharapovas lawyer, John Haggerty, called Tuesdays ruling a stunning repudiation of the ITF, which he said failed to properly notify players of the meldonium ban.The panel has determined it does not agree with many of the conclusions of the ITF, Haggerty said in a conference call. As we demonstrated before CAS, not only did the tennis anti-doping authorities fail to properly warn Maria, if you compare what the ITF did with how other federations warned athletes of the rule change, its a night and day difference.WADA acknowledged that CAS fully scrutinized all available information and evidence in the case and said it abides by the ruling.Sharapova said she was first prescribed the Latvian-made drug by her family doctor for various medical issues in 2006. She said she took the drug for regular bouts of the flu, possible onset of diabetes and a magnesium deficiency.An independent ITF panel had found that Sharapova did not intend to cheat but bore sole responsibility and very significant fault for the positive test. The ITF panel also said the case inevitably led to the conclusion that she took the substance for the purpose of enhancing her performance.Meldonium increases blood flow, which improves exercise capacity by carrying more oxygen to the muscles.More than 100 athletes, including many Russians and other eastern Europeans, tested positive for meldonium early in the year. Some escaped with no sanctions because they argued successfully that they stopped taking the drug before Jan. 1 and that traces had lingered in their system. Sharapova, however, acknowledged that she used meldonium after Jan. 1.A hearing on Sharapovas appeal was held in New York on Sept. 7-8. The player and her legal team argued that she bore no significant fault or negligence and her ban should be reduced to time served, or about eight months.I have learned from this, and I hope the ITF has as well, Sharapova said. I have taken responsibility from the very beginning for not knowing that the over-the-counter supplement I had been taking for the last 10 years was no longer allowed.Head, Sharapovas racket supplier, hailed the CAS ruling as justice being served.We are very proud to have stood by Maria for the right reasons throughout these difficult and testing times, Head CEO Johan Eliasch said, claiming it was wholly unfair that that she had been banned at all.---AP Sports Writer Chris Lehourites contributed to this report.---Follow Stephen Wilson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/stevewilsonap. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/stephen-wilson Custom Football Jerseys Throwback . The veteran safety was a starter for the Bengals from 2008-2012. He totaled 41 tackles and three interceptions while starting all but four of the 13 games he played last season. Sale Football Jerseys Throwback . -- Anaheim Ducks captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf has been scratched from Sunday nights game against the Vancouver Canucks because of an upper-body injury. http://www.cheapfootballthrowback.com/ . The 15th-ranked Canadian men lost the opening two games of their European tour: 19-15 to No. 17 Georgia and 21-20 to No. Stitched Football Jerseys Throwback . Shot outdoors against the stunning backdrop of Banff, Alta., the networks 30-minute original production airs tonight at 8pm et/5pm pt on TSN2. The four All-Star teams will play for $100,000 in prize money during TSNs annual skins game, airing live this weekend on TSN from The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre. Football Jerseys Throwback Outlet . Those lessons were more than enough to overwhelm the Utah Jazz. Lou Williams scored 25 points and the Hawks continued their offensive upswing as they rolled to an easy 118-85 victory over the Jazz on Friday night, winning their third straight and for the fourth time in five games. Jordan Spieth just loves life Down Under.The 23-year-old American and former Masters champion now boasts two Australian Open crowns and an increased horde of Aussie fans after he survived a playoff at Royal Sydney on Sunday.The world No.5 was confident that could he shoot three-under over the weekend it would be enough to claim a second Stonehaven Cup, and thats exactly what transpired as he went 68-69 and then called on the steely nerves that had already yielded 11 wins worldwide.Spieth first rolled in a knee-knocking par putt at the 72nd hole to enter the playoff, before a 10-foot birdie at the first extra hole fell right in the middle of the cup and little-known Australian Ashley Hall was unable to respond.I felt like I really played well, I felt like I played well this week, Spieth said as he sat alongside the trophy.I got off with the driver and 3-wood, and putting throughout the week wasnt tip-top shape; but my short game was there, the iron play was solid, so it certainly felt like I was playing well enough to be in contention, just wasnt sure about winning.And then we made the putts at the very end that mattered.After triumphing at The Lakes Golf Club two years ago, and falling just short in his title defence at The Australian in 2015, Spieth certainly knows how to get into a rhythm Down Under.And its a golfing beat Australians are happy to dance along with, too.While the locals would have loved to have seen Adam Scott make a final-round charge or overnight leader Geoff Ogilvy claim a second Australian Open, Spieths gallery was jammed for much of the week with only those prepared to head out early on Thursday morning getting a continual close-up of the American.They were standing 10-deep at some parts of Royal Sydney on Sunday and while he only held the outright lead early on the final day, the fans never strayed too far knowing that if things got tight down the stretch Spieth would be there to strike.We love coming here, certainly plan on it...its hard to tell, Spieth said when asked whether hed be back to chase a third Stonehaven Cup in 2017.But how can you argue with coming here and gaining the confidence that weve had out of this event. So I certainly plan to, but just dont know whats going to happen 12 months from now.Ive cut out aa lot of overseas travel this year but we still came here because thats how important this event is to us.dddddddddddd And I havent gone anywhere else...so even if overseas travel is trimmed out we still like coming here and plan to [in 2017], its just I certainly cant say yes or no right this second.A brilliant long-range birdie putt on 16 drew Spieth level with Hall and Smith before he got up and down from off the green at 17 and 18, both with testing par putts, to get into the playoff.He then only needed one blow at the first extra hole to put the pressure on and the putting that has been the cornerstone of his rise to the top of world golf did the rest.With world No.1 Jason Day out injured, defending champion Matt Jones forced to remain in the States to chase his PGA Tour card and Jonny Vegas the only other international of note outside Spieth, it was far from a star-filled Australian Open field.But so personable is Spieth and so intense the Sunday drama that unfolded that the lack of class in the field barely rated a mention.A few more international names wouldnt hurt but away from Rickie Fowler - who will contest the World Cup of Golf in Melbourne next week - only the rusted-on golf fans would really recognise some of the other leading Americans or Europeans on the PGA and European Tours.And the