Maria Sharapova may be spared the maximum four-year ban for failing a drug test if she can prove she has a condition which requires the treatment she took, an anti-doping expert has said. Five-time Grand Slam winner Sharapova announced on Monday she had tested positive for a substance called meldonium at this years Australian Open.Meldonium was placed on the banned list by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) at the beginning of the year, having been part of its monitoring programme throughout 2015. Geraint Hughes shows how easy it is to find meldonium on WADAs banned substances list Sharapova said she had legally taken the medication since 2006 to deal with health issues including an irregular heartbeat.Grindeks, the Latvian company which manufactures meldonium - banned by WADA as it aids oxygen uptake and endurance - says the normal course of treatment for the drug is four to six weeks.Depending on the patients health condition, treatment course of meldonium preparations may vary from four to six weeks. Treatment course can be repeated twice or thrice a year, said Grindeks in a statement.Only physicians can follow and evaluate patients health condition and state whether the patient should use meldonium for a longer period of time. Sharapova lost to Serena Williams in the quarter finals in Melbourne in January Sharapova will be provisionally suspended from tennis later this week and could face a ban of up to four years.However, former UK Sport anti-doping chief Michele Verroken believes she could receive a minimum of a one-year ban if she can prove she needed to take the drug for medical purposes.This is a strict liability issue and to test positive, as it were, for a prohibited substance is a strict liability matter, Verroken told Sky Sports News HQ. Sharapova fails drugs test Maria Sharapova reveals failed drug test at Australian Open You are responsible for what is found in your sample, you are responsible for what goes into your body.So, to just say that you didnt notice it had been added to the list will not be considered the excuse to totally evaluate an sanction.Now the challenge facing Maria Sharapova and her team is to bring forward the diagnostic evidence that she has a condition that required the prescription of this treatment.But if she can actually prove that she may get some leniency from the disciplinary panel. Barry Cowan says Maria Sharapova will have to pay the consequences for failing a drugs test Sharapova, who has been suspended by sponsors Nike, Tag Heuer and Porsche, says she accepts full responsibility for her actions but former British No 1 Jo Durie believes the Russian might have expected more help from people around her.Durie does not believe the former world No 1 is a drugs cheat either, saying it was a very big mistake that she is going to pay the price for.Everyones shocked and its just one big mistake isnt it from Maria and her team, who didnt pick this up, said Durie. Sir Bradley Wiggins admits he has sympathy for Sharapova after she failed a drugs test Maria has stood up and said ultimately that its her responsibility, shes the athlete and she should check. But when you get to the top of your sport you are surrounded by a team of people who really should be advising you and checking and doing all these things.I just think its very sad that this has happened.I think that Maria is, in my opinion, an honest person whos made a very big mistake; shes going to pay for it.I dont think shes a drugs cheat, I really dont, I think shes been caught out with something she thought was perfectly okay to take and then didnt check the lists. Also See: Sharapova career reveiw Sponsors drop Sharapolva What is Meldonium? Tennis reacts to news Custom Colorado Rockies Jerseys . Just as Montreal was settling into the first full working week of a new year, the Impact announced the appointment of their new head coach. Custom Pittsburgh Pirates Jerseys . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. http://www.customjerseysbaseball.com/custom-philadelphia-phillies-jerseys-664x.html . For the Wild it was their first win of the season and they now have a record of 1-1-2 while the Jets fall to 2-2. Jets start a six game home stand Friday with another divisional game, home to the Dallas Stars. Custom Atlanta Braves Jerseys . Laudrup revealed Thursday he was notified of his dismissal in "the briefest of letters which gave no reasons why such hasty and final action was deemed necessary. Custom Miami Marlins Jerseys .B. -- The Baie-Comeau Drakkar took over sole possession of first place atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Thursday with their sixth straight win. MIAMI -- The first time Jose Fernandez faced Aledmys Diaz on Thursday, the St. Louis Cardinals slugger fouled the first pitch off with a mighty swing.I told him, `Really? Youre going to swing first pitch like that? Fernandez said. That swing had a lot of bad intentions.It was a sign of things to come. Diaz homered, doubled and drove in three runs in the first-ever meeting between the two childhood pals from Cuba, helping the Cardinals beat the Miami Marlins 5-4.Fernandez fell behind 5-0, departed after five innings and dropped to 26-2 at Marlins Park.I made some mistakes and they took advantage. Thats on me, he said. Every time you get four runs and have your ace on the mound, you should expect to win.Miamis Dee Gordon, the 2015 NL batting and stolen bases champion, returned from an 80-game suspension for failing a drug test and went 0 for 4. Ichiro Suzuki doubled as a pinch hitter in the seventh for Miami and needs two hits for 3,000.Michael Wacha (6-7) allowed three runs in six innings, and three relievers completed an eight-hitter. Seung Hwan Oh pitched around a one-out single in the ninth for his seventh save.Diaz and Matt Holliday homered in the third inning against Fernandez (12-5), who had never previously given up more than one homer in a home game.That was a lot of fun to compete against my buddy, Diaz said. I just tried to be aggressive with him, hes such a great pitcher.Fernandezs only other loss at Marlins Park came on opening day this year against Detroit.Diaz and Fernandez were neighbors growing up in Santa Clara, Cuba, and the Cardinals enjoyed their reunion. Fernandez walked Jeremy Hazelbaker to start the third inning, and Diaz followed with his 14th homer.This guy wants to hit it 10,000 feet, Fernandez said. Hes helping his team win. You cant get mad about that.Two batters later, Holliday hit his 18th homer just inside the right-field foul pole, prompting a rueful grin from Fernandez. The outing was his shortest since May 4.The Cardinals homered in 17 consecutive games before being blanked in that department Wednesday.Hazelbaker tripled annd Diaz drove in a run with a double, his 25th, in the Cardinals two-run fifth.ddddddddddddUNDER SIEGEMarcell Ozell hit comebackers off Wacha (right foot) and Oh (left buttocks). Both stayed in the game. Its the third game in a row Wacha has been hit on the right foot.Its got a bulls-eye on it, Wacha said.BALK REVERSALThe umpires said they erroneously reversed a balk call, taking a Cardinals run off the board in the second inning.With runners at second and third and two out, Fernandez was about to intentionally walk No. 8 hitter Kolten Wong when third base umpire D.J. Reyburn called a balk. Fernandez protested, and after the four umpires conferred, they reversed the call and decided there was no balk.Wacha struck out to end the inning and keep the game scoreless. After the game, crew chief John Hirshbeck reviewed video and decided Reyburns balk call had been correct.D.J. called it from third, and I thought I saw (Fernandez) step off with his right foot, Hirshbeck said. I overruled D.J. with what I thought I saw. He was right, I was wrong.SUZUKI UPDATESuzuki received a standing ovation when he pinch-hit, and he responded with his 350th career double, raising his season average to .335. He has started only one of seven games on the homestand.I dont think hes searching to make this about him, Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. I think hes comfortable with the way were playing it.CARDINALS ROTATIONCardinals LHP Jaime Garcia will start Saturday on four days rest, manager Mike Matheny said. Garcia threw 77 pitches Tuesday, when he gave up two earned runs in five innings and lost to the Mets.TRAINERS ROOMRHP Lance Lynn, who underwent Tommy John surgery in November, threw to hitters again Thursday, and the Cardinals havent ruled out his return this season.UP NEXTCardinals RHP Mike Leake (7-8, 4.24), who is scheduled to start Friday, is 3-0 with an 0.44 ERA in three starts at Marlins Park. RHP Jose Urena (1-2, 5.34) will start for Miami. ' ' '