MEXICO CITY – Wearing yellow and blue for Ukraine, Elina Svitolina beat Russia’s Anastasia Potapova 6-2, 6-1 on Tuesday within the opening spherical of the Monterrey Open, deciding she may do extra for her nation by enjoying greater than boycotting the match.
Prime seed Svitolina mentioned earlier that she wouldn’t play Potapova in Mexico or any Russian or Belarusian opponent till the Worldwide Tennis Federation and the boys’s and ladies’s tennis excursions banned opponents from these international locations from utilizing any nationwide symbols, flags or anthems.
Tennis governing our bodies issued a press release on Tuesday confirming that Russian and Belarusian gamers will nonetheless be allowed to play on the high stage, however with out the nationwide flags.
“In the present day was a really particular match for me,” mentioned 27-year-old Svitolina. “I am in a really unhappy temper, however I am glad I am enjoying tennis right here.
“I used to be targeted. I used to be on a mission for my nation. From the beginning, it was vital to be ready for no matter got here my approach.”
Svitolina is a two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist and 16 career-tour singles title holder, she is ranked quantity three and is presently quantity 15.
“All of the prize cash I’ll win will likely be for the Ukrainian military,” mentioned Svitolina, who gained this match in 2020.
Svitolina, who broke within the first and third video games en path to the lopsided win over Potapova in 64 minutes, will play Viktoria Tomova within the second spherical.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine entered its sixth day on Tuesday, with an enormous convoy of Russian tanks and armored autos on the street to the capital, Kyiv, and preventing intensified there and in different huge cities.
Ukrainian officers mentioned Russia bombed a number of key websites in Kyiv and Kharkiv, the nation’s second largest metropolis, killing at the least 11 folks and wounding dozens extra.
In her social media publish on Monday, Svitolina mentioned her objective is to ask tennis to observe within the IOC’s footsteps and demand that gamers from Russia and Belarus who’ve been recognized as “impartial athletes” should not in opposition to particular person opponents.
“I do not blame any of the Russian athletes,” Svitolina wrote. “They aren’t answerable for the invasion of our motherland.”
Additionally on Tuesday, Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska beat Romania’s Anna Bogdan 3-6, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (7) in her opening match on the Lyon Open in France.
Yastremska’s match got here simply 4 days after she fled her homeland, arriving in Romania by boat earlier than reaching Lyon by Saturday. She wrote in one in every of her Instagram posts that she spent two days in an underground parking storage whereas Russian troops have been advancing earlier than leaving Ukraine.
“I’m glad that I gained for my nation, however on the similar time I’m very unhappy,” Yastremska, 21, mentioned after her victory on Tuesday. “My coronary heart stays at residence, my thoughts is preventing right here, so it’s extremely exhausting to seek out focus, to seek out stability.
“This victory, in contrast to what’s occurring in my nation, is nothing. However I’m glad, at the least, I’m additionally preventing for my nation. I’m actually pleased with the Ukrainians and they’re actually champions. I hope that all the pieces will likely be over quickly. “
The Related Press contributed to this report.
