TENNIS – THE clay courts of Roland Garros were transformed into a complex geopolitical chessboard yesterday as they produced a French Open semi-final lineup featuring a number of emotionally charged matches in the shadow of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Marta Kostyuk defeated fellow Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-3 2-6 6-2 on Court Philippe-Chatrier to book a semi-final against 19-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva, who earlier dismantled Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 6-0 6-3.
The other side of the draw also carries political overtones, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine now in its fifth year.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus faces Russia’s Diana Shnaider, whose compatriot Anna Kalinskaya takes on Poland’s Maja Chwalinska.
Belarusian and Russian players are competing under neutral flags on the WTA Tour and at the Grand Slams.
In the men’s side, Alexander Zverev continued his quest for a maiden Grand Slam title as he recovered from a shaky start to brush aside Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar 7-6(3) 6-1 6-3 and reach the semi-finals.
He will next face Czech Jakub Mensik, who defeated Brazil’s Joao Fonseca 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (3), for a place in the final.
Teenager Andreeva said she was focusing on how to win her semi-final against Kostyuk.
“Usually it doesn’t matter to me who I’m playing against, so I’m trying to really focus on the game and on the game plan that I have to use on the court,” Andreeva told reporters.
Tension has lingered since the opening week in Paris, driven by the fact that Ukrainians must compete against opponents from Russia and Belarus while their homeland faces continuous bombardment, including a fatal missile strike on Monday night.
The direct impact of the war was evident long before the quarter-final stage, with Ukrainian players repeatedly highlighting the psychological toll of playing.
“Tennis is a mental game, but today it was something completely different. I didn’t know how my focus was going to be or if I would even be able to control my thoughts,” Kostyuk said at the start of the tournament, hours after a Russian missile struck near her family home in Kyiv.
For Svitolina, one of the most outspoken opponents of the war, the Russian invasion remains an inescapable burden.
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