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Nadal makes Olympic entry list

Paris - Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal was included on the entry list for the Olympic Games tennis tournament on Friday after appealing to the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

The 14-time Grand Slam champion had not met the qualifying criteria, which involves a set number of Davis Cup appearances in an Olympic cycle, for next month's Games in Rio.

World number four Nadal hasn't played since a wrist injury forced him to withdraw from the French Open and also ruled him out of Wimbledon.

Nadal was the gold medallist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but missed the 2012 London Games because of a knee injury.

He is due to carry Spain's flag at the opening ceremony in Rio on August 5.

Reigning champions Andy Murray and Serena Williams will defend their Olympic titles on the Rio hard courts, the ITF had already confirmed.

Top stars including world number one Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are also playing in Brazil.

However, Maria Sharapova misses Rio due to her doping suspension as does fellow former world number one Victoria Azarenka who revealed Friday that she is pregnant.

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