Ukrainian Elina Svitolina defeats Belarusian for spot in Wimbledon quarterfinals
Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina emerged victorious in a thrilling three-set encounter against Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, Suspilne Sport reports.
In the fourth-round match of the competition, Svitolina triumphed over Azarenka and advanced to the quarterfinals of Wimbledon, a Grand Slam tournament. The Ukrainian player defeated Azarenka for the first time in her career.
The match marked the sixth face-to-face meeting between Svitolina and Azarenka, with the Belarusian winning all five previous encounters. Prior to this match, Elina acknowledged the significance of the game and referred to it as a "challenge."
After nearly three hours, Svitolina clinched victory in a tiebreaker.
Svitolina, as a rule, does not shake hands after a match against Russian or Belarusian players. The decision to buck this traditional show of sportsmanship is an act of protest of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which the government of Belarus supports.
Apart from entering the top 40 of the world rankings, Svitolina will compete in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament for the tenth time in her career. In the next round, she faces the world's number one player, Iga Swiatek from Poland.
Maria Yeryoma
