Sabalenka advanced to the semifinals amid boos to Svitolina for not congratulating her

the belarusian Aryna Sabalenka he did not attend general press conferences to talk to the media because he felt unsafe due to the merciless interrogation of a Ukrainian journalist. The posture changed on Tuesday after securing his passage to the semifinals.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the women’s WTA Tour has been under permanent tension as there are many Ukrainian and Russian and Belarusian players, who match up every week.

And the ritual that Ukrainians do not greet Russians and Belarusians at any time is repeated. At Roland Garros, this attitude is met with whistles and boos from the stands, as it was again this Tuesday at headquarters.

Aryna Sabalenka, 25 years old and world number 2, he defeated 6-4 and 6-4 in Elina Svitolina. The Belarusian rushed to the net, while his Ukrainian opponent went straight to his seat without looking at him. A good portion of the people disliked this attitude, and spoke against it despite that fact Svitolina she was adopted by fans as the wife of a local tennis player Gael Monfils.

The others applauded, though not loudly. And there are those waving Ukrainian flags.

The situation of the opening round was repeated, with Sabalenka facing the Ukrainian Martha Kostyuk. “What would a soldier say if he saw me shaking hands with a Russian woman,” Svitolina wondered, explaining her refusal to maintain contact with Russians. He didn’t even shake hands Daria Kasatkinaalthough he gave her a thumbs up as a new sign of his outspoken condemnation of the war launched by his country, for Vladimir Putin.

Seven months after motherhood, Svitolina He directed that top-10 in his time. At 28 years old, 198th WTA, she made a great effort, but in front of her was the Australian and Madrid Open champion, a Sabalenka rising

He will make his debut in the semifinals of Roland Garros, as his new opponent, the Czech Karolina Muchovawho defeated the Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova by 7-5 and 6-2.