Zvonareva confirmed for London Olympics

Moscow, June 22 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia's Vera Zvonareva has been picked for the London Olympic tennis tournament despite ongoing injury problems, the Russian Tennis Federation said Friday.

The other Russians confirmed for the Olympics are Maria Sharapova, who will carry the Russian flag at the opening ceremony, as well as Maria Kirilenko, Nadia Petrova, Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova.

Zvonareva announced her withdrawal from the French Open last month because of an injury to her right shoulder.

Svetlana Kuznetsova will join the women's team in London as a potential replacement for any injured players, Russian tennis chief Shamil Tarpishchev said on the federation's website.

In the doubles event, Kirilenko will play with Petrova and Makarova will team up with Vesnina. The federation did not specify who would take the four singles berths.

In the men's event, Mikhail Youzhny, Nikolay Davydenko, Alexander Bogomolov and Dmitry Tursunov have been selected.

The doubles pairs will be Youzhny and Davydenko, and Bogomolov and Tursunov.

Tarpishchev said Russia will name its mixed doubles pairs in the middle of Wimbledon, which starts June 25.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

sr/vt