World number eleven Vera Zvonareva will replace injured Maria Sharapova in the women's singles at the Beijing Olympics, Russian tennis federation announced in Moscow?on Friday.
Playing her first match since a shock second-round defeat by compatriot Alla Kudryavtseva at Wimbledon in June, Sharapova twice received treatment on her shoulder during her three-hour battle with Poland's Marta Domachowska in a Montreal Cup second round match on Wednesday.
She won the match but MRIs found two small tears in the tendons of her shoulder and the 21-year-old announced the withdrawal from the Beijing Games the following day.
The 23-year-old Zvonareva, who is set to play the women's doubles, will play the women's singles alongside with Svetlana Kuznetsova, Elena Dementieva and Dinara Safina.
Sharapova joins a growing list of Beijing casualties, including Athens silver medalist Amelie Mauresmo and former French Open winner Mary Pierce.
(Xinhua News Agency August 2, 2008)