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Kostyuk, the world number 39, had warned she would not shake hands with Russian and Belarusian players due to the ongoing war in Ukraine – a stance she and other Ukrainian athletes have stuck to since Moscow’s forces invaded their country last year, with support from Belarus.
PARIS : Highlights of the first day at the French Open on Sunday (times GMT):
PARIS : Marta Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Aryna Sabalenka after their first-round match at the French Open and the Ukrainian feels the Belarusian should take a stronger, more personal stand against the war.
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PARIS :The fickle Paris crowd made themselves heard on the opening day of the French Open as they booed when Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk refused to shake hands after her first-round defeat by Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus on Sunday.
Aryna Sabalenka won a politically-charged French Open duel against Marta Kostyuk on Sunday as jeers rained down on the defeated Ukrainian who refused to shake hands with her Belarusian opponent. World number two and Australian Open champion Sabalenka swept 10 of the last 12 games to win 6-3, 6-2 as she kick-started her push to reach the second week in Paris for the first time. Kostyuk honoured her pledge not to shake hands with Sabalenka in protest at Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Belarus is a key military ally of Moscow.
Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk shrugged off the deluge of jeers and boos which greeted her refusal to shake hands with Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka at the French Open, insisting she has "no respect" for her rival's claim that "nobody wants this war".
After a record 50,000 people – compared to 29,000 last year – attended the qualifying event this week, there was a stir on court Philippe Chatrier as Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk refused to shake hands with world number two Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus after losing 6-3 6-2.