Tennis player Marat Safin of Russia has announced he will help promote Moscow's bid for the 2012 Olympics and the Paralympic Games as an ambassador.

"As a Muscovite, I am proud to support Moscow's bid to host the 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games," Safin said Wednesday after his second round win over Mark Philippoussis in the Wimbledon tennis championships here.

"Moscow is open, buzzing with dynamism and passionate about sports. You can see it with Russian athletes achieving brilliant results in all sports around the world. That's the reason why Moscow should have the Games," he added.

The 25-year-old Safin was born in Moscow. He began to play tennis at the age of six. His mother coached him until he was 13 when he went to Valencia in Spain. There, his potential was spotted and a Swiss sponsor paid to train him to become a professional.

Success on the international circuit came with Safin's first Tennis Masters success in Toronto in 2000, followed by the finals in Indianapolis in the US.

Safin won his first Grand Slam when he lifted the Australian Open this year.

Among the other notable supporters of Moscow's 2012 Olympics bid are tennis players Maria Sharapova, Elena Dementieva and Anastasia Myskina and former Russian president Boris Yeltsin.