Olympics-Tennis-Kanepi withdrawal opens door for Duque-Marino

LONDON, July 19 (Reuters) - Colombia's world number 117 Mariana Duque-Marino has been handed a golden ticket to compete at the London Olympics after a heel injury ruled out Estonia's Kaia Kanepi.

She will be joined in the competition by Germany's Mona Barthel who was also a late replacement for compatriot Andrea Petkovic, who withdrew with an ankle injury on Wednesday.

Kanepi, ranked 16, reached the quarter-finals of the French Open in June, but has failed to recover from the foot injury that ruled out her out of Wimbledon.

"It's very sad that I cannot participate in the Olympics," Kanepi said on the International Tennis Federation website (www.itftennis.com).

"I do not know if I will ever get another chance to participate in the Olympic Games."

Kanepi's injury opened the door for 22-year-old Duque-Marino.

She gained an ITF place into the 64-strong women's singles competition which will take place at Wimbledon from July 28 to Aug. 4. (Reporting by Toby Davis; editing by Justin Palmer)