/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Ff2636b7f-8732-4eb2-8675-f500f1230b58 "Ukraine star excuses ‘confused’ teen for handshake")
Australian Open semifinalist Dayana Yastremska has addressed the moments a junior player from Ukraine shook hands with her Russian opponent following their girl’s singles match.
Yelyzaveta Kotliar, 16, went down 6-2, 6-4 to Vlada Mincheva of Russia in the opening round of the junior competition on Tuesday.
After the match, Kotliar walked to the net and touched hands with her opponent, but that did not sit well with authorities back home.
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Ukrainian players have almost uniformly adopted a policy of not shaking the hands of Russian or Belarusian opponents after matches since Russia’s invasion in 2022. It has become a type of official protest for Ukrainian players.
Kotliar apologised for what she called an unintentional error but reports suggest the Ukrainian Ministry of Youth and Sports rejected Kotliar’s explanation and confirmed it will investigate, while the Ukrainian Tennis Federation described the moment as an “unpleasant incident”.
Speaking during her post-match press conference, Ukrainian qualifier Yastremska was asked how she felt about the incident.
“You know, Ukrainians, we have our position,” she said.
“We are not shaking hands but I think she’s still a little bit young, not so experienced. It could happen to anyone.
“I cannot judge her, because I don’t know what was in her head. Did she do this on purpose or not on purpose? I don’t know.
“But I’m sure that she stands by Ukraine and I’m sure that she just got too emotional and confused.”
The teenager’s father, Konstantin Kotliar, agreed that his daughter’s actions were a mistake.
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“The atmosphere here is extraordinary, which in itself puts a lot of pressure on the athletes,” he said in a statement released by the UTF.
“At the beginning of your career, it’s hard to cope with this and not be nervous. Unfortunately, my daughter didn’t feel calm, her emotions were running high, so she wasn’t completely in control of her behaviour.
“She automatically performed the post-match ritual, not realising that behind the net there was a representative of the country who launched the attack on our homeland.
“It was definitely a mistake that Liza regrets and assures us that she will never allow anything like that to happen again.”
Earlier in the tournament, Ukraine player Lesla Tsurenko spoke of the handshake snub and how it has become part of the fight against Russia for players on tour.
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“It is a national position. I think if you want I can try to explain to you how it feels, but it is probably tough to explain if you are not part of the country that is in the war right now,” Tsurenko said in Melbourne.
“This is another reminder that there is a war in my country. If you can just imagine (being) in my place or any other Ukrainian you would not have this question.
“This is the right thing to do and I do this for Ukraine.”