Forthright Murray says Sharapova should be banned

Indian Wells - The Briton also chided his own racket manufacturer Head after the company said it would continue to support Sharapova in the wake of her admission that she had taken the banned substance.

 World number two Andy Murray says Maria Sharapova should be banned after her positive test for meldonium and questioned the Russian's use of the drug for medical purposes.
The Briton also chided his own racket manufacturer Head after the company said it would continue to support Sharapova in the wake of her admission that she had taken the banned substance.
Murray applauded doping officials on Thursday for catching one of tennis' most high-profile stars.
"The positive thing about what has happened to Maria is she is one of the biggest female athletes on the planet," Murray said on Thursday at the Indian Wells tournament. "It's not up to me to decide the punishment, but if you're taking performance enhancing drugs and you fail a drugs test, you have to get suspended," Murray said.
"If you're taking a prescription drug and you're not using it for what that drug was meant for, then you don't need it, so you're just using it for the performance enhancing benefits that drug is giving you. And I don't think that that's right."
The drug, produced in Latvia but unavailable for purchase in the United States where Sharapova is based, was only added to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list of banned substances in January, shortly before her positive test at the Australian Open.
Manufactured for people suffering from heart problems, it can also increase blood flow and improve exercise capacity.
Sharapova will be provisionally suspended by ITF from this weekend and faces up to a four-year ban.