Baghdatis withdraws from Rio due to injury

by Reuters

29 Jul 2016, 17:50 IST

Britain Tennis - Aegon Men's Open - Nottingham Tennis Centre - 23/6/16Cyprus' Marcos Baghdatis in action during his quarter final matchMandatory Credit: Action Images / Craig BroughLivepic/Files

REU - Cypriot tennis player Marcos Baghdatis has withdrawn from next month's Rio Olympics after failing to recover from an elbow injury, the world number 42 said on Friday.

The 31-year-old Baghdatis, runner-up in the 2006 Australian Open, lost to eventual champion Andy Murray in the round of 16 at the 2012 London Olympics.

"It is clear that unless I am 100 percent fit and healthy to compete, I shall not participate at the Olympics because I would be doing injustice to my country," Baghdatis said on Facebook account.

"It is therefore with great sadness that I now announce my withdrawal from the Cyprus Olympic Team. I have already informed the Cyprus Tennis Federation."

(Reporting by Nivedita Shankar in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)