Sabalenka waits at the net to shake Svitolina's hand and the Ukrainian is surprised: It was a provocation
Aryna Sabalenka has qualified for the semi-finals of Roland Garros on Tuesday after defeating Elina Svitolina, by 6-4 6-4.
It was Sabalenka's second straight meeting with a Ukrainian player. She made her debut on Sunday, May 28 against Marta Kostuyk and they did not shake hands.
That situation was repeated today in the quarter-final round at the Philippe Chatrier. Sabalenka waited for her opponent at the net, forcing a greeting she knew would not come.
VIDEO | "My statement was clear" - Svitolina slams Sabalenka following handshake snub
"My statement was clear" - Svitolina slams Sabalenka following handshake snub
And she saw Svitolina pass, who got the whistles from the stands. That situation will not happen again because there are no Ukrainian players left in the competition.
"I don't know what she was waiting for because I said I wasn't going to shake hands. It was like a provocation. The whistles didn't surprise me," reflected Svitolina.
After two days of refusing to go to the conference room to avoid talking about the war in Ukraine, the tennis player from Minsk will again appear before the media.
Sabalenka said on June 2 that she did not feel safe when questioned by a Ukrainian reporter who is no longer at the tournament because her credentials expired at the weekend.
Svitolina also wonders why Sabalenka was not fined when Naomi Osaka was two years ago: "I don't think it's fair."
Virtual number one
The Belarusian is today the virtual world number one, with an income of 642 points, because Iga Swiatek can not add points at Roland Garros as reigning champion.
Post a Comment