From correspondents in Paris, France, 02:31 PM IST

Sixth-seeded Vera Zvonareva of Russia has pulled out of the French Open due to an ankle injury.

The Russian was forced to withdraw from the season's second Grand Slam after failing to recover from the injury sustained last month, organisers announced Saturday.

Zvonareva, 24, will be replaced by British 'lucky loser' Katie O'Brien who faces Olga Gorvotsova of Belarus in the opening round of the Grand Slam starting Sunday.

She has not played since picking up the injury at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston and was unable to represent Russia in the Fed Cup semifinal series against Italy last month because of the same injury.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)