Fans of Elina Svitolina wave the Ukrainian flag during her match with Victoria Azarenka — some Ukrainian flags were confiscated by the security service Photo: Heathcliff O' ; Malley
Belarusian star Victoria Azarenka accused Wimbledon fans of drinking Pimm's beer after she was booed outside the court at the end of a politically motivated match against Ukrainian Elina Svitolina.
At the end of Svitolina's three-set victory, there was no handshake, as is customary when players from Ukraine play against players from the aggressor countries Russia and Belarus. This caused cheers that grew louder as Azarenka got closer to the exit.
An angry Azarenka stopped as she left Court 1 and looked at the crowd for a second. She then shook her head, smiled bitterly, and gestured with both hands, slapping her wrists in a manner Europeans sometimes use to say «raise yours.»
When asked about the crowd's reaction, Azarenka replied, «How are you think?» When the interviewer replied that this was unfair, she nodded and said: “I think we agree on this.”
“I have known Elina for a very long time,” Azarenka added. “I have always had a good relationship with her. And the circumstances are what they are, that's all. I can't control the crowd. I'm not sure many people understood what was going on, which is probably why Pimm talked a lot during the day.
Why did the Wimbledon crowd boo Victoria Azarenka? It doesn't make any sense. It was Svitolina who unilaterally decided not to shake hands with some players. I'm sorry @vika7 ! pic.twitter.com/zPWWqkwOiM
— दिविर जैन (@divirj04) July 9, 2023
“She does not want to shake hands with either Russians or Belarusians. I respected her decision. What should I have done? Stay and wait? I mean, I couldn't do anything that was right, so I just did what I thought was respectful of her decision.
«If people only focus on handshakes or crowds, rather drunken crowd, the booing at the end is a shame.”
The reception Svitolina received after her 2-6, 6-4 , 7-6 comeback win was overwhelming – perhaps even louder than a British icon like Andy Murray could expect after a hard-fought victory.
Elina Svitolina celebrates victory over Victoria Azarenka. Photo: Heathcliff O'Malley
From a purely tennis point of view, this was far from Svitolina's finest hour, as she is an experienced activist who has won at least six victories over the first rackets of the world. But with the emotionality of the moment, the jubilation of the crowd and her desperate desire to inspire her compatriots and women in Ukraine, she instantly called it the best moment of her career.
“After the birth of our daughter, this is the second happiest moment of my life,” Svitolina told Rishi Persad in her on-court interview. “When I was losing in the second set, I heard you guys cheering for me and I almost wanted to cry.
“I just tried to think about being at home, about the people who were watching and rooting for me. I know how much it will mean to them. At any moment they can share happiness [means a lot]. Times are tough in Ukraine and I'm playing here in front of you guys, I can't complain. I just try to win every point.”
Later in the interview room, Svitolina said that she was especially eager to win this match because of her opponent's nationality. “If I enter this match against Russians, Belarusians, I certainly feel more pressure. That's why it means so much to get such wins. By our own way, bring this victory, a small victory to Ukraine.”
As for booing, Svitolina recalled that five weeks ago she herself was booed at the French Open. She pointed out that the loser tends to suffer from such treatment when there is no handshake, regardless of their nationality, and suggested that the tennis authorities prevent such scenes by warning fans in advance of the situation.
After Azarenka dominated the opening set, this match turned into a superb contest that was further heated by its geopolitical overtones. We saw several small Ukrainian flags confiscated by the guards and heard voices shouting “Glory to Ukraine” – or “Glory to Ukraine”.
The passions at the show seemed to be contagious, and soon Wimbledon's reputation as a calm and reserved temple of sportsmanship was undermined. Meanwhile, Svitolina landed some great shots, especially with her world-class backhand, and celebrated every game she claimed with an exaggerated fist flick. their forces without mercy, until it comes to a decisive tie-break. As the lights dimmed around Court 1 and the clock ticked around 9pm, Azarenka saved one match point with a daring shot. However, on the second, Svitolina hit an ace off target, and then, sobbing, lay down, covering her face with her hands.
In an interview with Persad, Svitolina admitted that she was forced to refuse tickets to the Harry Styles Concert in order to play this match. «I'm just a big fan of his,» she said. Within an hour, Stiles texted her on social media, “We have four shows ahead of us, welcome to any of them. Good luck for the rest of the tournament.»
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