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Vera Zvonareva, World No. 7 and two-time Family Circle Cup finalist, has officially entered the 2012 Family Circle Cup Challenge.

Marking the tournament’s 40th year, the Family Circle Cup will be held March 31st - April 8th.

“Vera Zvonareva is more than just another top star to enter the Cup, she’s become a fan favorite on Daniel Island,” said Eleanor Adams, Family Circle Cup Tournament Manager. “As an accomplished veteran and two-time finalist in our event, we’re very excited to have her in our player field as we celebrate our 40th year in professional tennis.”

A 12-year WTA veteran, Zvonareva has won 453 singles matches, 12 singles titles and surpassed $12 million in prize money. She reached the third round at the 2012 Australian Open, and posted strong results throughout 2011, her fourth straight Top 10 season (finishing No.7), including her 11th and 12th WTA singles titles at Doha and Baku. Zvonareva was also a semifinalist at the Australian Open, Miami and the WTA Championships, a quarterfinalist at the US Open, reached the fourth round at Roland Garros, and the third round at Wimbledon last year.

Zvonareva notched a career-high singles ranking at World No. 2 in 2010, and won a bronze medal for Russia at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

“I’ve always enjoyed competing at the Family Circle Cup, and I love visiting Charleston in the spring,” said Vera Zvonareva. “I’ve had a lot of success at this tournament, and I really like kicking off the clay court season on Daniel Island.”

Zvonareva owns a 20-8 record at the Family Circle Cup, reaching the finals in 2008 and 2010. She ranks 19th on Charleston’s win-loss record list with a .714 winning percentage, and is 14th on the tournament’s money leader list with $304,275 in earnings.