Elina Svitolina: Ukrainian to play Russian opponent Anastasia Potapova after stance over flag

2 years ago 18

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Elina Svitolina's match against Russia's Anastasia Potapova at the Monterrey Open on Tuesday will go ahead after the Ukrainian top seed was given assurances her opponent will compete under a neutral flag.

The WTA and the ATP announced on Tuesday that while players from Russia and Belarus could continue to compete, they must do so as neutral athletes.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has suspended the Russian Tennis Federation and Belarus Tennis Federation from international team competition, after the cancellation of all ITF tournaments in Russia and Belarus.

The WTA and ATP boards have also suspended their combined event due to take place in Moscow in October.

Before the WTA statement, world number 15 Svitolina, 27, told ITV News: "I will be playing tonight because my opponent is going to be under a neutral flag."

Svitolina will wear Ukrainian colours for the match in Mexico, and she said she feels like "I have my country on my shoulders".

She added: "In the tennis community, more should have been done. Today is already six days that serious and horrible things are happening in Ukraine.

"That's why I decided to make a move because I didn't feel enough support from our tennis community. As Ukrainians, we couldn't sit silent anymore in feeling so much pain.

"For sure it's not going to be [just] another WTA match."

Potapova, 20, also responded to the situation on Instagram on Monday, saying: "Unfortunately, now we, professional athletes, are becoming hostages of the current situation.

"I'm sorry, but even though I am a stranger to politics, I am against grief, tears and war."