Russian Daria Kasatkina was snubbed on the web after downing Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko on the Madrid Open on Monday morning.
There was excessive drama after Kasatkina’s 6-4, 6-2 victory with Tsurenko rapidly strolling to her chair after shaking palms with the umpire earlier than the Russian was even in a position to meet her on the web.
Kasatkina, Russia’s top-ranked feminine participant, has beforehand been extensively praised for talking critically concerning the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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She mentioned after the match she had no concern with Tsurenko avoiding a hand shake.
After thanking the chair umpire, Kasatkina appeared to supply a pleasant wave in the direction of Tsurenko, who appeared to understand the gesture.
“Well, the saddest part is the war still going on,” Kasatkina mentioned when requested concerning the second.
“So, of course, players from Ukraine, they’ve got a lot of reasons to not shake our hands. I accept it and it is how it is. It’s a very sad situation and I understand. I was actually happy that she waved me back. I’m already happy with that.”
Kasatkina has beforehand gone public to denounce the struggle and her newest feedback confirmed real help for her Ukrainian colleagues on the WTA Tour.
The 25-year-old mentioned she helps the choice by Wimbledon’s governing physique, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), to introduce measures to assist Ukrainian gamers put together for the All England Club grand slam this yr.
Kasatkina might be competing at Wimbledon as impartial athlete with no nationwide flag — one thing she has accepted with no fuss.
The frosty second between Kasatkina and Tsurenko has been performed out in comparable conditions on the WTA Tour and ATP Tour this yr when Russian gamers have been drawn to play in opposition to Ukrainian gamers.
The now-standard follow of no handshake being exchanged doesn’t appear like ending any time quickly.
Meanwhile, world No. 1 Iga Swiatek claimed she had endured a “tricky” afternoon regardless of easing to a straight-sets win over American left-hander Bernarda Pera to succeed in the final 16 in Madrid.
Swiatek, warming up for the defence of her French Open title, claimed a 6-3, 6-2 win for a sixth consecutive victory on clay this season.
“I wouldn’t say it was easy. Every match is tricky here,” Swiatek mentioned after her 75-minute outing.
“I’m happy that I’m getting my rhythm. Playing against a lefty is never easy… but I’m pretty happy that I was disciplined and focused.”
Swiatek subsequent faces both Chinese twenty second seed Zheng Qinwen, who was the one participant to take a set off her at Roland Garros final yr, or sixteenth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Also progressing to the fourth spherical was world quantity three Jessica Pegula who clinched a gruelling 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) victory over Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic.
Pegula, 29, made the ultimate in Madrid in 2022 the place she misplaced to Ons Jabeur. She will now sort out Italy’s Martina Trevisan on Monday for a quarter-final spot.
In the lads’s draw world No. 2 and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz arrange a final 16 duel with Alexander Zverev, the German rival who handed him a heartbreaking, reality-check defeat at Roland Garros final yr.
Alcaraz defeated Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria 6-2, 7-5 within the Madrid third spherical as he continues his bid to win a tenth tour title earlier than his twentieth birthday.
The Spanish crowd-pleaser was briefly troubled when 31-year-old Dimitrov broke for a 4-2 lead within the second set.
However, that merely delayed the inevitable as Alcaraz wrapped up victory in 90 minutes, making simply 4 unforced errors. It was his twenty fifth win of 2023 in opposition to simply two losses and a fifteenth win on clay.
— with AFP
Source: www.news.com.au
