Ukraine's Svitolina beats Russian Potapova | 'I was on a mission for my country'
Ukraine's Elina Svitolina thrashed Russian Anastasia Potapova in Mexico on Tuesday, deciding she could do more for her country by playing than boycotting the match.
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Ukraine's Elina Svitolina thrashed Russian Anastasia Potapova in Mexico on Tuesday, deciding she could do more for her country by playing than boycotting the match.
Ukrainian top seed Elina Svitolina blasted aside Anastasia Potapova at the WTA Monterrey tournament on Tuesday a day after threatening to boycott the game against her Russian opponent.
Dressed in Ukraine's blue and gold colours, a fired-up Elina Svitolina thrashed Russian Anastasia Potapova in Mexico on Tuesday and said it was her mission to unite the tennis world behind her country following Russia's invasion.
Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina has shown her thoughts remain with her homeland even while winning her round-of-32 match at the Monterrey Open in Mexico.
MEXICO CITY — Elina Svitolina put on the yellow and blue colors of Ukraine and beat Anastasia Potapova of Russia 6-2, 6-1 on Tuesday in the opening round of the Monterrey Open, deciding she could do more for her country by playing than boycotting the match.
MONTERREY (Mexico): Ukrainian top seed Elina Svitolina blasted aside Anastasia Potapova at the WTA Monterrey tournament on Tuesday a day after threatening to boycott the game against her Russian opponent. Svitolina said on Monday she would not play against players from Russian or Belarus -- unless they were competing under a neutral banner -- as a protest against Russia's invastion of her homeland. However, the prospect of Svitolina boycotting her first round game was erased earlier Tuesday when the ATP and WTA issued a statement effectively granting her wish. That left world number 15 Svitolina free to swat aside 20-year-old Potapova, ranked 81 in the world, with ease in a 6-2, 6-1 win. Svitolina, who played in a yellow top and blue skirt, the colors of the Ukranian flag, thumped her chest repeatedly after wrapping up the win before shaking hands with Potapova.
Top-seeded Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, wearing her national colors of blue and yellow, won on "a special night for me," beating Russia's Anastasia Potapova 6-2, 6-1 on Tuesday in the first round of the Abierto GNP Seguros in Monterrey, Mexico.
tennis player Elina Svitolina on Monday said she would refuse to play Russian and Belarusian tennis players in tournaments. She also criticised the governing bodies of tennis, shortly after two of her compatriots aimed a swing at the WTA when they criticised the organisation for not taking a position on the Russian invasion of their country. Svitolina, ranked 15th in the world, is the top seed in the WTA tournament in Monterrey where she is drawn to play Russian Anastasia Potapova in her first match. Two other Russians, Kamilla Rakhimova and Anna Kalinskaya, are also in the draw. "I want to announce that I will not play in Monterrey, nor any other match, against Russian or Belarusian tennis players until our organizations take the necessary actions," Svitolina wrote on Twitter. "I do not blame Russian athletes," she wrote. "I wish to pay tribute to all players, especially Russians and Belarusians, who bravely stated their position against the war. Their support is essential."