Following a contentious handshake at their Wimbledon match, Elina Svitolina of the Ukraine defeated Victoria Azarenka of Belarus for the second time in a row on Monday at the WTA Tour DC Open in Washington.
At Wimbledon earlier this month, after losing to Svitolina, Azarenka was jeered off the court by fans who felt that she had disrespected her by not going to the net for a handshake.
Svitolina actually rejected to shake hands with players from Russia and Belarus, something she has done ever since their invasion of her country. Moscow counts Belarus as a crucial military ally.
In an effort to prevent a recurrence of the issue on Monday, tournament administrators in Washington informed spectators prior to the game.
An announcement on an arena screen prior to the game stated that “there will be no handshake between the players at the conclusion of the match.”
“We appreciate your respect for both athletes during and after the match, as well as for your patience under these trying conditions,” the statement reads.
Once the matter was resolved, it was up to the two rivals to serve up a tough yet error-filled match that featured no less than 17 serve breaks until Svitolina eventually won 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.
In the tenth game of the second set, Svitolina broke Azarenka’s serve to secure the victory.
Svitolina earned a match point following an errant Azarenka backhand, which she properly took advantage of by pounding a forehand winner into the corner.
Before leaving the court, Azarenka gave Svitolina’s victory a quick thumbs-up.
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