LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Maria Sharapova appealed her two-year doping ban to the highest court in sports on Tuesday, and an expedited ruling will be issued next month ahead of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Maria Sharapova of Russia reacts after losing a point to Serena Williams of the United States during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016.(AP Photo/Rick Rycroft) Sharapova filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport seeking to overturn or reduce the suspension imposed by the International Tennis Federation last week. The Russian tested positive for meldonium at the Australian Open in January, taking it before each match at that tournament even though the substance was banned at the start of 2016. CAS said both sides agreed to an “expedited procedure” that will allow the court to issue its ruling by July 18, at the latest. [...]
