Russian tennis has been in the eye of the storm since the invasion of Ukraine. Athletes from the invading country continued to compete in the professional men’s and women’s circuits as normal, except that they did not officially represent Russia, with the flag removed from the participation tables.
Only Wimbledon took the step of vetoing its presence in the 2022 edition, without the support of tennis organizations, which chose to withdraw points from the rankings of British events by not allowing the presence of Russians and Belarusians.
Every day there are controversies, the most active of which are Ukrainian players, who are numerous and weighty Elina Svitolina or Marta Kostyukwho was booed at Roland Garros for not shaking hands with his rival, the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka. A move that continued in the battles between Ukrainians and Russians or Belarusians for several months.
In a purely sporting context, Russian tennis continues to maintain its potential. Karen Khachanov and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova they became the first qualifiers for the quarterfinals.
Khachanov27 years old and world number 11, is waiting for Novak Djokovic, favorite in the round of 16 against the Peruvian John Paul Varillas. The Spanish student Pepo Clavet beat the italian Lorenzo Sonego 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7) and 6-1, which equaled their quarterfinals at Paris 2019.
He is strong in Grand Slams, he has made it to the semifinals of the previous US Open and Australian Open.
Pavlyuchenkova He is regaining his level after a long knee injury, after he reached the final of Roland Garros 2021. He returned to the Belgian elise mertens 3-6, 7-6 (3) and 6-3, and meet at Karolina Muchova or your countryman Elina Avanesian.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
