MADRID: Banned five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova will face French Open winner Garbine Muguruza on a half clay-half grass court exhibition in Madrid on Dec 2.

Sharapova is not free to compete on the WTA Tour until at least April 2017 despite having a doping ban for banned medication meldonium cut from 24 to 15 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) earlier this month.

The Russian made her return to the court for the first time since receiving the ban for testing positive at the Australian Open in January in a light-hearted exhibition in Las Vegas last week.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2016