CNN
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Tennis participant Elina Svitolina known as her opponent, Russian Daria Kasatkina, a “courageous one” following the Ukrainian’s upset win on Sunday.
Svitolina, who beforehand stated she wouldn’t shake arms with Russian and Belarusian opponents out of respect for the women and men defending Ukraine, advised reporters that she “acknowledged” Kasatkina after the match.
Kasatkina has been outspoken in her criticism of the conflict, describing it final yr as a “nightmare,” in line with the New York Instances.
Final month, Kasatkina, Russia’s top-ranked feminine tennis participant, additionally expressed her sympathy for Ukrainian tennis gamers who refuse to shake her hand after matches.
“Actually grateful for her place that she took. She’s [a] actually courageous individual to say it publicly, that not so many gamers did,” Svitolina stated, after advancing to the quarterfinals of the French Open.
“She’s a courageous one.”
As an alternative of a hand shake, Kasatkina gave her opponent a thumbs up on the web after shedding the match 6-4 7-6 (7-5). She later stated she was disillusioned to listen to boos from some members of the gang.
“Leaving Paris with a really bitter feeling. All this days, after each match I’ve performed in Paris I all the time admire and thanked crowd for assist and being there for the gamers,” Kasatkina tweeted Monday.
“However yesterday I used to be booed for simply being respectful on my opponent’s place to not shake arms.
“Me and Elina confirmed respect to one another after a tricky match however leaving the court docket like that was the more serious a part of yesterday. Be higher, love one another. Don’t unfold hate. Attempt to make this world higher.”
Kasatkina, who final yr introduced she was homosexual and criticized Russia’s attitudes in direction of homosexuality, has maintained her stance in opposition to the conflict in Ukraine.
“The saddest half is the conflict nonetheless occurring,” the 26-year-old stated final month. “So after all, gamers from Ukraine have gotten a number of causes to not shake our arms. I settle for it and it’s how it’s. It’s a really unhappy scenario and I perceive.”
Taking part in in her first main because the 2022 Australian Open and first since changing into a mom, Svitolina stated she was simply centered on restoration and making ready for her subsequent match.
“After all I’d like to win right here,” Svitolina stated. “It will likely be the dream, nevertheless it’s all the time been in my profession like step-by-step.
“I feel that is the one proper technique to do, to not look an excessive amount of into the longer term, as a result of in any other case you lose your focus from the small issues that brings you to win the matches.”
Svitolina will play Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka within the subsequent spherical on Tuesday.
World No. 2 Sabalenka stopped taking part in customary post-match press conferences on the match after saying she didn’t really feel protected at a earlier press convention the place she was questioned about her nation’s involvement within the conflict.
Sabalenka stated in March that she struggled to grasp the “hate” she encountered within the locker room amid strained relations between some gamers following the invasion of Ukraine – Belarus is getting used as a key staging floor for Russia.
“In regards to the conflict scenario, I stated it many, many occasions, no person on this world – Russian athletes, Belarusian athletes – helps the conflict. No person. How can we assist the conflict? Regular individuals won’t ever assist it,” she stated.
Russian and Belarusian gamers are at the moment nonetheless competing on the excursions as impartial athletes with out their flag or nation displayed.
