Ukrainian Elina Svitolina makes U-turn as she agrees to face Russian under one condition
Ukraine: Russia and Belarus are ‘two aggressors’ says Pabriks
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Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina is now set to face Russian player Anastasia Potapova at the Monterrey Open tonight as her opponent will compete under a neutral flag. Svitolina insisted she would not play her match in the round of 32 unless the sport’s governing bodies acted on the recommendations made by the International Olympic Committee to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from representing their respective countries.
The world number 15 had declared she would refuse to play Russian or Belarusian players until they were classed as ‘neutral athletes’.
Her stance prompted the Ukrainian Tennis Federation to call on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to expel Russia and Belarus from the organisation and ban Russia from individual and team tournaments.
An emotional Svitolina told ITV News that she would now play while donning the Ukrainian national colours.
“I’m going to play in the Ukrainian national colours because normally we are playing at the Olympics and for our national team in Ukrainian colours but today I’m going to wear Ukrainian colours and for me this means a lot – it’s going to be a special night for me,” Svitolina said.
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On Friday, the IOC’s executive said Russian and Belarusian national flags should not be displayed at international sporting events following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began on Thursday.
On Monday, the IOC’s executive board recommended sports federations to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from competing in events.
Svitolina made her feelings on the matter public.
“We Ukrainian players requested to ATP, WTA and ITF to follow the recommendations of the IOC to accept Russian or Belarusian nationals only as neutral athletes, without displaying any national symbols, colours, flags or anthems,” the 27-year-old said.
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“Accordingly, I want to announce that I will not play tomorrow in Monterrey, nor any other match against Russian or Belarusian tennis players until our organisations take this necessary decision.”
In a separate but similar statement earlier on Monday, Ukrainian women’s tennis players – including Marta Kostyuk and Lesia Tsurenko – called on the WTA to suspend and cancel all tournaments in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.
“We Ukrainian tennis players would like to express our great surprise and dissatisfaction with the lack of any response with the situation with our motherland,” the statement said.
“It is especially strange that in prior cases of social injustice and sexual harassment the response of WTA was prompt, appropriate and bold.
“We demand that WTA immediately condemn Russian government, pull all tournaments out of Russia and approach ITF to do the same. Stop the war. Stop Russian aggression. Bring peace to our homes. Be human.”
Sporting organisations are also continuing to impose sanctions on Russia where possible, with Russian football clubs and national teams suspended from competitions by FIFA and UEFA for the foreseeable future.
The Russian men’s team will not play their World Cup play-off matches next month and the women’s team have been banned from this summer’s Euro 2022 competition, while Spartak Moscow have been kicked out of the Europa League.
UEFA has also ended its sponsorship with Russian energy giant Gazprom.
Today, Kyiv claimed that Belarusian troops have joined the invasion of Ukraine, with a 40-mile Russian convoy heading to the capital among rumours that Putin is set to employ ‘medieval tactics’ to force a victory.
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