ITF Announces Olympic Tennis Entrants and Wildcards

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ITF Announces Olympic Tennis Entrants and Wildcards

By Erik Gudris

(June 26th, 2012) After months of speculation, controversy and even some players taking to social media to express their views on the subject, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced the official entrants for each country in Olympic Tennis at this year's Summer Games in London.

64 men and women will contest the singles events while 32 teams will contest both the men's and women's doubles. The mixed doubles teams will be announced on site once the Games begin at the All-England Club on July 28th.

The U.S. team will consist of John Isner, Andy Roddick, Donald Young and Ryan Harrison for the men with the Bryan Brothers and Isner/Roddick making up the doubles teams. For the women, Serena Williams, Christina McHale, Venus Williams and Varvara Lepchenko will compete in singles while Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond make up one doubles team with the Williams Sisters comprising the other.

“These 12 players have worked extremely hard to earn selection to the U.S. Olympic Team, and they will be granted the tremendous honor of playing for their country on the world’s biggest stage,” said Jon Vegosen, Chairman of the Board and President, USTA. “That the competition is being held on perhaps tennis’ most hallowed grounds, these Olympics will surely augment a memorable summer of tennis.”

In addition to players earning direct entry, the ITF awarded several wildcard berth. For the men, the most notable selections were Lleyton Hewitt for Australia, Vasek Pospisil for Canada and Sergiy Stakhovsky for Ukraine. For the women, wildcard selections included Alize Cornet of France along with Anne Keothavong and Elena Baltacha for Great Britain.

ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “We are delighted to see the strongest ever field in the history of the Olympic Tennis Event. Since tennis’s return to the Olympics in 1988, the event has continued to grow at each Games, with the current generation of players all embracing this unique opportunity to represent their country in individual competition. The All England Club will provide an iconic backdrop for the event and we expect that the competition in each discipline will be fierce.”

For a complete list of entrants and wildcards, go here.