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Swiatek, Svitolina set up quarter final showdown as Azarenka booed off court

Wimbledon chiefs said they have no plans to issue a statement after the incident

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Ukraine's Elina Svitolina celebrates her victory over Victoria Azarenka of Belarus on day seven at Wimbledon. - AP

By APP

Published: Mon 10 Jul 2023, 4:24 PM

Iga Swiatek saved two match points while Elina Svitolina triumphed in a stormy, politically-charged duel with Victoria Azarenka to set up a Wimbledon quarter-final showdown on Sunday as Novak Djokovic was defeated by a night-time curfew.

World number one Swiatek beat Olympic champion Belinda Bencic 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 on Centre Court.

Over on Court One, Ukraine's Svitolina came from a set and break down to defeat Belarusian rival Azarenka 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (11/9)but refused to perform the customary handshake across the net at the end of the match.

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Svitolina chose not sto hake hands with Azarenka in protest over Russia's invasion of Ukraine as Belarus is a key military ally of Moscow.

Wimbledon chiefs said Monday they have no plans to issue a statement after the incident.

Azarenka, who held her hand up in the direction of Svitolina, seemingly in a gesture of respect, left the court to a chorus of boos from some sections of the crowd.

The two-time Australian Open champion said her treatment "wasn't fair".

"I thought it was a great tennis match," she added. "If people are going to be focusing only on handshakes or the crowd, quite drunk crowd, booing in the end, that's a shame."

Svitolina and her fellow Ukraine players all refused to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian rivals at the recent French Open.

She called on the sport's governing bodies to explain the position of Ukraine players.

"I don't know if it's maybe not clear for people, some people not really knowing what is happening," she said. "So I think this is the right (thing) to do."

But All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton said on Monday that Wimbledon had no plans to issue such a statement.

"Historically in tennis the decision on how a player reacts at the end of a match is entirely a personal decision for them and I think we don't really want to start mandating what happens," she said.

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"I think we have an incredibly knowledgeable audience at Wimbledon and I think in most part they would understand what was happening."

She admitted it is impossible to control the crowd, calling for the sporting action to be centre stage.

"Having witnessed one of the most incredible matches on Number One Court, to an absolutely rapt audience, we should be focusing on the tennis and the match that we saw, not all the other stuff that went on," she said.

APP

Published: Mon 10 Jul 2023, 4:24 PM

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