Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina wins at Wimbledon on day of major Russian missile attack

shinaJuly 25, 2024

0 4 7 minutes read

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Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, pictured with a black ribbon on her white shirt, beat China’s Wang Xinyu to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals. Earlier Monday, there was a Russian missile attack in Svitolina’s home country. (Andrej Isakovic/AFP via Getty Images)

Elina Svitolina spoke haltingly, pausing occasionally to sigh, as she discussed the deadly Russian missile attack on her home country of Ukraine, an event that weighed on her and mattered far more than the straight-set victory Monday that meant a return to the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

Svitolina has relatives back home — a grandmother, an uncle, others — and while victories like the 6-2, 6-1 scoreline against Wang Xinyu mean something to them, and can serve as “a small light that brought a happy moment for Ukrainian people,” in her words, it is not easy to think too much about tennis.

Dozens of Russian missiles hit five cities in Ukraine, striking apartment buildings and a children’s hospital in the capital of Kyiv, killing at least 31 people and wounding more than 150, officials said.

“It was really difficult for me to really be here, in a way, and do anything. I just wanted to be in my room, just be there with my emotions, with everything. When you have these sad days, where you don’t want to do anything, it was this kind of day for me,” said Svitolina, who received permission from the All England Club to wear a black mourning ribbon pinned to her white shirt during the match.

“It’s very close to our heart and a very sensitive topic, very sensitive emotions that we feel every single day,” she said at her news conference, hands clasped on the table in front of her. “But today was one of the days where it was even more difficult.”

Earlier, during an on-court interview at the match’s conclusion, Svitolina wiped away tears when she mentioned what was happening in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia, with help from Belarus, nearly 2 1/2 years ago.

In 2022, the All England Club barred all Russian and Belarusian players from competing at Wimbledon, but they were let back in last year, albeit officially competing as “neutral” athletes whose nations are not identified in the draws or TV graphics.

Svitolina said she would prefer if that ban were still in place, but that there’s nothing she can do about the policy change.

‘So many ways we can help people’

“For now, I just want to raise awareness, to raise funds for people in need, to raise support for the kids through my foundation. … So many ways we can help people,” she said, “and not only focus on the things we cannot control.”

Svitolina, who is married to French tennis pro Gael Monfils, was a semifinalist at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament in 2019 and 2023 and is seeded 21st this year. Her opponent in the quarterfinals will be 2022 champion Elena Rybakina, who advanced when No. 17 Anna Kalinskaya stopped playing because of an injured right wrist while trailing in the second set.

Ukraine’s Svitolina urges Russian, Belarusian tennis players to speak out against war

The other quarterfinal on the top half of the women’s bracket will be 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko against 2021 French Open winner Barbora Krejcikova, who defeated No. 11 Danielle Collins 7-5, 6-3.

Ostapenko was a 6-2, 6-3 winner against Yulia Putintseva, who eliminated No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the third round.

Svitolina said she felt like she was “in a fog” on Monday, unable to go through her usual prematch thoughts and preparation.

Her team was relatively quiet.

The tactical notes were kept to a minimum.

Afterward, the excitement was muted.

“For many Ukrainians, they will share this feeling with me. We feel guilt that we feel happy or that we feel good. Not only because I’m in the quarterfinal of [a] Grand Slam, but in everything. You go [on vacation], you feel guilty because you’re not in Ukraine. Many people cannot leave the country. Many people are at the war. Many people are fighting, defending our front lines,” Svitolina explained.

“We’ve been living with this feeling for over two years. I mean, it’s nothing new,” she said. “But yes, of course, it’s not a pleasant feeling to have.”

Fernandez eliminated in doubles

Canada’s Leylah Fernandez and partner Ena Shibahara of Japan are out of Wimbledon after losing in the women’s doubles third round.

The pair fell 6-2, 7-6 (3) to fourth-seeded duo Taylor Townsend of the United States and Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic.

Fernandez and Shibahara trailed 6-2, 3-2 before play was suspended Sunday.

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Townsend and Siniakova went 3-for-4 on breakpoint opportunities and won 79 points to 61 for their opponents.

Later Monday, Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and partner Harri Heliovaara of Finland lost 6-4, 6-4 in a second-round mixed doubles match against the New Zealand duo of Erin Routliffe and Michael Venus.

Dabrowski, the lone Canadian left at Wimbledon, remains in the tournament as Routliffe’s partner in women’s doubles. The second-seeded pair is scheduled to take on Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania and Marta Kostyuk on Tuesday.

Dabrowski, the lone Canadian left at Wimbledon, plays with Routliffe in women’s doubles. The second-seeded pair is scheduled to take on Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania and Marta Kostyuk on Tuesday.

WATCH | Denis Shapovalov bounced in 5-set marathon match:

Fritz upends Zverev to reach quarterfinals

Taylor Fritz turned things around after dropping the opening two sets to defeat two-time Grand Slam finalist Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-3 and reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

The 13th-seeded Fritz, a 26-year-old from California, matched his career-best showing at a major tournament.

The match, played with the retractable Centre Court roof shut, was the 35th to go five sets at Wimbledon this year, tying the record for the most at any Slam event in the Open era, which began in 1968.

And Fritz’s comeback is the 11th from a two-set deficit in this edition of the grass-court tournament, more than in any other year.

Fritz’s quarterfinal opponent will be No. 25 Lorenzo Musetti, while the other quarterfinal on the bottom half of the men’s draw will be No. 9 Alex de Minaur against seven-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic, who dismissed No. 15 Holger Rune 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in just over two hours in Monday night’s last match on Centre Court.

Djokovic gets into it with fans

Djokovic then made sure to get a message across to those fans he thought were against him.

Rune’s supporters at various tournaments often will stretch out his last name, saying, “Ruuuuuune!” — which sounds rather similar to “Boooooo!” — and that happened again Monday.

During his on-court post-match interview, Djokovic spoke briefly about the match, but then veered into a discussion about the people in the stands.

“To all the fans that have respect and that stayed here tonight: Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate it. And to all those people that have chosen to disrespect the player — in this case, me — have a goooood night. Gooooood night. Gooooood night. Very gooooood night,” he said, stretching out the “Os” in “good” so they sounded like “boo.”

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The interviewer tried to dissuade Djokovic from thinking anyone was trying to taunt him.

“They were. They were. They were. I don’t accept it. I know they were cheering for Rune. But that’s an excuse to also boo,” Djokovic said. “Listen, I’ve been on the tour for more than 20 years. So trust me, I know all the tricks. I know how it works. It’s fine. It’s fine. It’s OK.

“I focus on the respectful people, that have respect, that paid [for] a ticket to watch tonight, and love tennis. And love tennis. And appreciate the players and the effort that the players put in here.”

De Minaur reached his first Wimbledon quarterfinal by eliminating 20-year-old Arthur Fils of France 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Musetti makes it 3 Italians in quarterfinals

Musetti just needed a little time to adjust.

To life and to and six-foot-eight Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard’s serve.

Musetti advanced to the first Grand Slam quarterfinals of his career at Wimbledon by beating the 21-year-old Frenchman 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2.

Musetti joins No. 1 Jannik Sinner and women’s No. 7 Jasmine Paolini in collectively making Italian history: it’s the first time three Italians have reached the quarterfinals at the same Grand Slam.

With files from The Canadian Press

CBC’s Journalistic Standards and Practices

shina

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