Injured Zvonareva to miss Australian Open

The former Wimbledon finalist Vera Zvonareva has pulled out of next month's Australian Open with a shoulder injury.

The 28-year-old Russian hardly got on to the court through illness in 2012 and her start to the new year is set to be interrupted following yesterday's announcement.

Zvonareva, who reached the SW19 final in 2010, has also pulled out of next week's ASB Classic in Auckland after she had been handed a wild card for the New Zealand tournament.

The former world No 2 has competed in just 10 tournaments in the last season, and pulled out of four, as her world ranking slipped to 96.