Maria Sharapova's "hopes of a rapid return to grand slam tennis are likely to be set back by the French ruling body's refusal to grant her automatic entry into the main draw for Roland Garros," according to Simon Briggs of the London TELEGRAPH. However, it is understood that Sharapova has a "strong chance of receiving a wild card into qualifying for the opening slam of the season next month." As Sharapova prepares for her comeback from a drugs ban in Stuttgart, she "could be given a chance of making the French Open even if she fails to reach the final" on Sunday -- the "minimum requirement for her to earn a place in the slam's preliminary tournament by right." Last month, French Tennis Federation (FFT) President Bernard Giudicelli met Sharapova in L.A. and "sounded unconvinced about her suitability for a main-draw wild card -- a currency usually given to emerging talents from the home nation or well-known players returning from injury." Giudicelli said, "We will have to reflect on it ... [it] is about an important topic like doping." But by inviting Sharapova into the qualifying event, the FFT would "win on every level." While this "could not be portrayed as a craven surrender to her profile and influence," it would still give a "huge boost" to the preliminary week at Roland Garros -- and the "most likely end result would still find Sharapova reaching the main draw via three wins over low-ranked opponents." The All England Club is "likely to face the same dilemma" as the FFT -- unless Sharapova "takes the matter out of its hands" by gathering 600-odd rankings points between now and the end of the Internazionali BNL D'Italia in four weeks' time, thus earning a place in the Wimbledon main draw by right. If the FFT does not hand a main-draw wild card to Sharapova, the All England Club "would find it difficult to grant her one without being portrayed as appeasers on the issue of doping" (TELEGRAPH, 4/24).
