Wimbledon ban on Russian players must remain: Svitolina
KYIV: Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina said on Friday that the ban on Russian and Belarusian players competing at Wimbledon must continue ater they were excluded from last year’s championships.
Wimbledon barred players from the two countries due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, a decision which was switly condemned by the men’s and women’s tours as well as Novak Djokovic and Martina Navratilova. However, Svitolina, the 2019 Wimbledon semi-finalist, said nothing had changed from last year’s reason for the ban.
“I hope they will do the same thing and keep the ban in place. I don’t think it should change,” the 28-year-old Svitolina was quoted as saying by the BBC on Friday.
“There are still people suffering and still Russian soldiers killing innocent Ukrainians. The war is still there. The decision should not be any different.”
The French, US and Australian Open Grand Slams allowed Russian and Belarusian players to compete as neutrals.
Wimbledon has yet to announce if the ban it imposed last year will continue. Wimbledon organisers The All England Lawn Tennis Club were not immediately available to comment.
Athletes from Russia and Belarus, which aided President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine nearly a year ago, have been largely banned from international competitions since.
Svitolina on Wednesday called for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be banned from the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Svitolina, married to fellow player Gael Monfils, reached a career-high ranking of world number three in 2017 but has not played since giving birth to her first child last year.
ZVEREV STORMS to DAVIS CUP winafter being CLEARED Of ABUSE: Alexander Zverev defeated three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka in the Davis Cup on Friday as the German star returned to the courts for the first time since being cleared of domestic abuse.
The 25-year-old Zverev swept past Wawrinka 6-4, 6-1 in Trier to bring Germany level with Switzerland ater the opening day of their qualifier.
On Tuesday, Zverev was told by the ATP that there was “insufficient evidence” to substantiate allegationsagainsthimofabusingaformergirlfriend.
Marc-andrea Huesler had given Switzerland the lead with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over Oscar Ote.
Mackenzie Mcdonald and Tommy Paul gave the United States a 2-0 lead in their qualifier against Uzbekistan.
Mcdonald, who knocked Nadal out of the Australian Open last month, eased past Sergey Fomin 6-4,6-1intashkentbeforetommypaul,asemi-finalist at the season-opening Grand Slam in Melbourne, defeated Khumoyun Sultanov 6-1, 7-6 (8/6).
Despitehislowlyrankingof480,sultanovopened up a 4-0 lead in the second set over top-20 player Paul before the American’s greater experience paid off. World number 182 Zsombor Piros stunned 45th-ranked Benjamin Bonzi 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 before Ugo Humbert levelled the qualifier by seeing off Marton Fucsovics 6-3, 6-2.
In Stockholm, Sweden opened up a 2-0 lead over Bosnia thanks to straight-sets wins by brothers Mikael and Elias Ymer.