Paszek Eligible For London Olympics; Replaces Baczinsky

By Tennis Now Staff

Photo Credit: AFP/Patrick Kovarik

(July 6, 2012) -- ITF Board of Directors confirms Tamira Paszek's eligibility for the 2012 Olympic Tennis Event.

The ITF Board of Directors voted to uphold the appeal of Tennis Austria against the decision of the ITF Olympic Committee that Paszek was not eligible for the Olympic Tennis Event. because she had not fulfilled the Fed Cup component of the Olympic Eligibility Rule.

(Read: ITF Announces Olympics Tennis Entrants and Wildcards)

In their appeal, Tennis Austria provided additional documentation to the ITF Board that was not available at the time of the ITF Olympic Committee meeting that confirmed that Ms. Paszek had made herself available in 2010 but had not been selected. This documentation included affidavits from the Austrian Fed Cup captain Jurgan Waber and additional information about Ms. Paszek’s back injury during the second half of 2009.

Therefore, the Board determined that Paszek had met the two components of the rule, that she is in good standing with Tennis Austria and had made herself available to compete in two Fed Cup ties in the Olympic cycle including 2010 and 2012 where she competed for Austria in Europe/Africa Zone Group I.

Paszek replaces Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky, who has told the Swiss National Olympic Committee that she will not compete in the London 2012 Olympic Tennis Event.

Paszek reached the quarterfinals of the 2012 Wimbledon ladies' singles draw, taking out Caroline Wozniacki in the first round along the way.