Russia includes Sharapova in Fed Cup squad

Moscow - Russia on Wednesday included Maria Sharapova in their Fed Cup squad to face the Netherlands next week, despite the world number five sparking a row by saying she was unlikely to play.

Russian tennis chief Shamil Tarpishchev warned Sharapova on Tuesday that she risked missing out on the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro if she failed to turn out for the Fed Cup.

Sharapova -- who won silver at the London Olympic Games in 2012 -- says she needs to rest and "take care of her forearm" after losing to Serena Williams in the Australian Open quarter-finals on Tuesday.

But the dispute appeared to have been papered over after the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said that Sharapova "just needs to be included into the team's line-up" but does not have to play to still be eligible for the Olympics.

Russia's team skipper Anastasia Myskina has also included two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, ranked 20th in the world, doubles specialist Ekaterina Makarova and Daria Kasatkina in her squad to face the Dutch in Moscow on February 6-7.