Eugenie Bouchard attacked Maria Sharapova as a "cheater" over her return from a drugs ban and suggested the Russian should be kicked out of tennis for life.
It was Sharapova's first match since the 2016 Australian Open, as she has since been serving a 15-month doping ban. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) disqualified her for two years but the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne reduced it to 15 months.
Bouchard, the 2014 Wimbledon finalist, believes governing body the WTA is sending out the wrong message by letting Sharapova resume her career after completing a 15-month suspension.
One of tennis' biggest face is a "cheater" who is staining the sport's image and her own, Bouchard said.
She responded to the speculation saying "I think I would be prepared to play in the juniors if I had to..."
"It's so unfair to all the other players who do it the right way and are true", Bouchard said.
The 30-year-old Sharapova, three-time victor on Stuttgart's clay courts, received a controversial wild card for the German tournament, having had no ranking points after more than a year out following her suspension.
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Vinci offered little resistance as the five-time Grand Slam champion powered to victory in one hour 43 minutes, hitting 11 aces and 39 winners.
Maria Sharapova enters the court for her match against Italy's Roberta Vinci at the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany.
"I know it's tough to return after a long time, " Vinci said.
She will now take on unseeded Russian Ekaterina Makarova in the next round. I put the racquet away for a little bit. "A lot of players will agree with me on the wild card".
The player appeared to be nervous at the beginning of the match, sending three forehands long in the first game. I tried my best but it was hard, especially when I was on serve.
"I need to play points and games and sets and matches - all matches are important for me".
Because her suspension ended only at midnight, Sharapova had not been allowed to use official tournament facilities before, forcing her to visit a local tennis club in Stuttgart for training since last weekend.





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