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SPORTS Thursday, June 9, 2016 East Oregonian Page 3B Sharapova suspended for 2 years for doping In this Jan. 26, 2016 ile photo, Maria Sharapo- va reacts after losing a point to Serena Williams during their match at the Aus- tralian Open tennis champi- onships. By CHRIS LEHOURITES AND HOWARD FENDRICH AP Sports Writers LONDON — Maria Sharapova was suspended from tennis for two years Wednesday for testing positive for meldonium at the Australian Open, and immediately responded by saying she would appeal the decision to sport’s highest court. The ruling by an inde- pendent three-person panel appointed by the Interna- tional Tennis Federation said Sharapova did not intend to cheat because she didn’t know meldonium was banned, but that she bore “sole responsibility” and “very signiicant fault” for the positive test. “While the tribunal concluded correctly that I did not intentionally violate the anti-doping rules, I cannot accept an unfairly harsh two-year suspension,” Sharapova said in a state- ment. “The tribunal, whose members were selected by the ITF, agreed that I did not do anything intentionally wrong, yet they seek to keep me from playing tennis for two years. I will immedi- ately appeal the suspension portion of this ruling to CAS, the Court of Arbitration for Sport.” The ive-time Grand Slam champion was provisionally AP Photo/Rick Rycroft suspended by the ITF in early March, when she announced at a news conference in Los Angeles that she failed a doping test in January. Sharapova said then she was not aware that the World Anti-Doping Agency had barred athletes from using meldonium, also known as mildronate, as of Jan. 1. Her lawyer, John Haggerty, said Sharapova took the substance after that date. Lawyers representing the ITF argued their side, while Haggerty argued hers. He said she spoke at the hearing. “This was a deliberate decision, not a mistake,” the ITF said. “Taken together with the evidence that over a period of three years she did not disclose her use of mildronate to her coach, trainer, physio, nutritionist or any medical adviser she consulted through the WTA, the facts are only consistent with a deliberate decision to keep secret from the anti- doping authorities the fact that she was using mildronate in competition.” In addition to testing posi- tive at the Australian Open, the ITF said she also failed a test for meldonium in an out-of-competition control in Moscow on Feb. 2. Sharapova’s ban is due to end on Jan. 25, 2018. The World Anti-Doping Agency said it would review the decision and decide whether or not to lodge its own appeal to CAS. WADA has the right to appeal if it feels a sanction is too lenient or too strong. Sharapova said she irst was prescribed the Latvi- an-made drug, typically used for heart conditions, for medical reasons in 2006. She could have been barred from competing for up to four years. “Today with their decision of a two-year suspension, the ITF tribunal unanimously concluded that what I did was not intentional,” Sharapova said. “The tribunal found that I did not seek treatment from my doctor for the purpose of obtaining a performance enhancing substance. “The ITF spent tremen- dous amounts of time and resources trying to prove I intentionally violated the anti-doping rules and the tribunal concluded I did not.” The ban throws into doubt the on-court future of Shara- pova, a 29-year-old Russian who is one of the most well- known and — thanks to a wide array of endorsements — highest-earning athletes in the world. She is a former top-ranked player who is one of 10 women in tennis history with a career Grand Slam — at least one title from each of the sport’s four most important tournaments. So much came so easily for her at the start: Wimbledon champion in 2004 at age 17; No. 1 in the rankings at 18; U.S. Open champion at 19; Australian Open champion at 20. An operation to her right shoulder in 2008 took her off the tour for months, and her ranking dropped outside the top 100. But she worked her way back, and in 2012, won the French Open, then added a second title in Paris two years later. Sharapova hasn’t played since a quarterinal loss to Serena Williams at this year’s Australian Open, and she is ranked 26th this week. Sharapova and the Russian team had hoped she would be cleared in time to compete at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in August, but after the ruling Russian Tennis Federation president Shamil Tarpishchev told the Tass news agency that Ekaterina Makarova would replace her. Meldonium increases blood low, which improves exercise capacity by carrying more oxygen to the muscles. In April, citing a lack of scientiic evidence about how long the drug remains in a person’s system, WADA said that provisional suspen- sions may be lifted if it is determined that an athlete took meldonium before it went on the list of banned substances. About 200 athletes tested positive for meldonium this year from various sports and countries — many, like Sharapova, were Russian — and some said the drug stayed in their systems for months even though they stopped using it in 2015. “It is important at all times for players to be aware of the rules and to follow them, In this case, Maria has taken responsibility for her mistake from the outset,” WTA CEO Steve Simon said in a statement. “The WTA will continue to follow this closely and we hope it will be resolved as soon as possible.” Kessel, Penguins look to close out Sharks in Game 5 By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer PITTSBURGH — Phil Kessel insists nothing has changed. Not his game. Not his attitude. Not the shape of his body or his commitment to winning. Press all you want. Monkey with the wording of the questions. It doesn’t matter. The Pittsburgh Penguins forward, hardened by years of taking the brunt of the criticism for an underachieving franchise in Toronto, refuses to buy into the narrative that he has somehow evolved while leading the Penguins to the cusp of winning the Stanley Cup. “I just kind of play the same way I have for my whole career,” Kessel said Wednesday. It’s everything else that’s different. The coach. The talent surrounding him. The pressure that’s no longer his to bear alone. Oh yeah, and the stakes are different, too. When Kessel’s No. 81 appears on the ice at Consol Energy Center on Thursday night to face the San Jose Sharks in Game 5 of the inal, he’ll try his best to soak Stanley Cup Final San Jose Pittsburgh Sharks Penguins 1 3 • Today, 5 p.m. • TV: NBC in — but not get lost in — a moment he was never quite sure would come during those challenging seasons with the Maple Leafs. “It’s a big change from where I was at before,” Kessel said. “Obviously it’s pretty special.” Kessel has certainly done his part. He has 10 goals and 11 assists over the last seven weeks, including setting up a pair of scores in Pittsburgh’s 3-1 win in Game 4 that gave the Penguins a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and provided the franchise an opportunity to win the Cup at home for the irst time. The player who spent more than half a decade as a pariah in Toronto, usually for things far beyond his control, is a leading contender to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff’s most valuable player. “We’re not here if it’s not AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar In this May 22, 2016, ile photo, Pittsburgh Penguins’ Phil Kessel (81) brings the puck past Tampa Bay Light- ning’s Anton Stralman during Game 5 of the NHL hock- ey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference inals in Pittsburgh. for him,” Penguins reserve goaltender Jeff Zatkoff said. “He’s (risen) to the occasion. It’s just something you’ve grown to expect from him now. These types of games, you know he’s going to deliver.” “I see a guy that’s working his butt off,” said ESPN analyst Barry Melrose. “He’s competing a lot harder away from the puck than he ever has before.” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan calls it “playing the right way,” something he challenged Kessel and his high-proile teammates to do since taking over in mid-De- cember. “We’ve asked him to improve in certain areas of his game away from the puck, in the battle areas, and he’s embraced our message,” Sullivan said. Much in the same way the dressing room — one where he can be just one of the guys — embraced him after Pittsburgh acquired the three- time All-Star from the Maple Leafs last July. Kessel is only too happy to quietly look for the exit whenever the media descends on Sidney Crosby’s nearby stall. He’d much prefer to let his play do the talking, something he can do here that he never could for the Maple Leafs. “I mean for some reason lots of people don’t like Phil Kessel,” Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford said. “He was only the best player Toronto had for (six) years, year in and year out and he got the blame for everything, which was terribly unfair.” While Kessel is quick to brush off his chances of capturing the Conn Smythe, the Sharks would prefer to table the discussion for at least a few more days, if not entirely. No team has rallied from a 3-1 deicit to raise the Cup since the Maple Leafs did it in 1942. Yet San Jose is well aware that no lead is insurmountable. The Sharks were up 3-0 in the irst round against Los Angeles two years ago only to drop four straight, a collapse it took a full season to get over. “I think it’s closer than it feels and we’ve got to give ourselves an opportunity that if they stumble, we’re going to jump on it,” San Jose coach Peter DeBoer said. Something the Sharks have been unable to do through four games. They have yet to lead at any point during regulation, their only victory a comeback 3-2 triumph in overtime in Game 3. They insist they’re a different team when playing from ahead, even if they’re decidedly out of practice against a Penguins team that has led for an astonishing 435:46 of game time. The Sharks’ only stretch of extended dominance came in the second period of the Game 1. Pittsburgh’s edge hasn’t been signiicant, but it’s been enough. Yet the Penguins stress they’re not quite there, that the midseason renaissance that coincided with Sullivan’s arrival on Dec. 15 is not complete. No Pittsburgh franchise has captured a championship within the city limits since Bill Mazeroski’s walkoff home run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series. Kessel and the rest of the guys in black-and-gold are not getting ahead of themselves even as tickets prices on the secondary market soared into the thousands while police are girding for what’s sure to be a rowdy celebration. CLASSIFIED M ARK ETPL A C E Pla ce cla ssified a d s on lin e a t w w w.ea storeg on m a rketp la ce.com or ca ll 5 4 1-278-26 78 Lost & Found 5 Lost Wedding set in Shariʼs parking lot in Hermiston on Friday June 3rd around 5 pm. If found please contact Marleen at 831-261- 0619. Reward offered Special Notices Special Notices .PLEASE CHECK YOUR AD ON THE FIRST DAY OF PUBLICATION. View all state wide legal notices online at www.public noticeads.com/ CLASSIFIED LINE AD DEADLINES Edition: Travel 541-278-2670 classifieds@ eastoregonian.com 12 Pendleton Down Under Tours - Book now for your Escorted Australian tour to travel in Oct. All inclusive with guide/flights/accom/tours/transfer s (apply by July 29th). Individual bookings also provided. Travel references available. Call Kerry 541-377-6855 www.turnherenow.com TURN HERE REALTY & TRAVEL (541) 377-6855 Personals Hermiston Herald Wednesday 3pm Monday Homes for Sale, Pendleton 100 While we are happy to make any necessary correction, we cannot be responsible for errors appearing for multiple days. Thank you! 10 East Oregonian Tuesday 3pm Monday Wednesday 3pm Tuesday Thursday 3pm Wednesday Friday 3pm Thursday Saturday 3pm Friday 10 20 Email or Call Terri or Angela@ classifieds@ eastoregonian. com 541-278-2678/541-278-2670 to place your classified ad!! EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination." Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women, and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll-free at 1-800-669- 9777. The toll-free telephone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275. 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