Players need to lay off Sharapova, says Navratilova

Madrid: Former world number one Martina Navratilova has urged players to stop focusing on Maria Sharapova after the Russian’s recent return from a 15-month doping ban. Sharapova’s comeback has garnered widespread interest with players offering their opinions on the 30-year-old, including men’s number one Andy Murray and Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard, who labelled the Russian “a cheater”. “I think it’s time for the players to lay off Maria. She made a huge mistake, paid dearly for it, ‘done the time’ and now let’s play ball,” Navratilova, who won 18 Grand Slams during a glittering career, tweeted on her verified account.  — Reuters