Maria Sharapova has it easy, claims British No 2 Heather Watson after Russian receives wildcard pick: 'You should have to work your way back up'

  • Maria Sharapova was handed a wildcard pick for Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart 
  • The tournament starts two days before the Russians ban ends
  • Heather Watson said the decision seemed 'a bit easy' during Miami Open
  • Dominika Cibulkova and Caroline Wozniacki have also queried her return
By MIKE DICKSON FOR THE DAILY MAIL 
PUBLISHED: 22:04 GMT, 23 March 2017 | UPDATED: 12:32 GMT, 24 March 2017
Heather Watson has stepped into the debate surrounding Maria Sharapova's wildcards by questioning the morality of giving the Russian a helping hand back up the rankings.
The British number two, knocked out of the Miami Open first round, acknowledged the commercial considerations but joined those players prepared to offer a view about Sharapova's return in Stuttgart next month.
'From the tournament standpoint she will bring in the crowds, make money, but from a moral standpoint you should have to work your way back up if you've been on a ban,' said Watson. ' It just seems a bit easy.' 
Maria Sharapova will return to tennis after being handed a wildcard for Stuttgart in April
+5
Maria Sharapova will return to tennis after being handed a wildcard for Stuttgart in April
British No 2 Heather Watson believes the wildcard seems 'a bit easy' for the Russian
+5
British No 2 Heather Watson believes the wildcard seems 'a bit easy' for the Russian
The Russian is suspended until the Wednesday of the German event, but is being squeezed in to play the last day of the first round schedule, much to the chagrin of some players.
Steve Simon, chief executive of the WTA Tour, equated it with a player arriving late on site when coming from another tournament.
Stressing there was not a rule stopping Sharapova being accomodated he insisted: 'There are many instances when the player is not at the tournament until the night before or the morning of the match based upon where they are travelling from, so that is not a factor.
'They have to be available for their match in the first round. If Maria' s suspension had ended on the Thursday she wouldn't have been able to play, period. Traditionally this tournament plays its first round over three days.' 
The WTA is a members' organisation, and Simon said he had no issue with players speaking out: ' I'm not one to tell the players what to say. They can have their own opinions like anyone else.' 
Sharapova is a five-time Grand Slam winner, including winning Wimbledon back in 2004
+5
The Russian's Wimbledon victory made her the third-youngest ladies singles champion, behind Martina Hingis and Lottie Dodd
+5
Sharapova is a five-time Grand Slam winner and was third-youngest Wimbledon champ at 17
The 29-year-old was banned in 2016 after failing a drugs test at the Australia Open
+5
The 29-year-old was banned in 2016 after failing a drugs test at the Australia Open
He has certainly been at odds with plenty of his members, and reiterated his broadly supportive stance of the Russian: ' I think Maria has showed tremendous integrity in that she stepped up the minute she made a mistake. We like to see all of our athletes do that. We have too many times where they've denied and then proven wrong.'
Jo Konta, who has declined to offer her opinion on the matter, plays on Friday at the Miami Open. Having had a bye to the second round she faces Allaksandra Sasnovich.
Konta is the last Brit standing after a dreadful Wednesday that saw all four other Brits eliminated.
A forlorn Watson will now descend below 120 in the rankings and, although outward appearances suggest otherwise, stated that she still had the hunger to succeed, but that she needed a full time coach.