the ukrainian Elina Svitolin advanced to the second round of Monterey Open–2022 by beating the Russian Anastasia Potapova in two sets with partials of 6-2 and 6-1, in their match of the first phase played at Club Sonoma.
Top-seeded Svitolina beat Potapova, who entered this match as a neutral athletein one hour and four minutes.
On Monday, Svitolina announced her intention not to play in the tournament if she had to face Russian rivals, and asked the tennis organizations (ATP, WTA, ITF) that tennis players of this nationality play the tournaments as “neutral athletes” on the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the face of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
This Tuesday, Potapova went out to play against Svitolina without identifying herself with symbols of Russia, even the Russian flag was removed from the tournament venue.
“This victory is special because of what we are going through right now in Ukraine, it’s frightening. Six days have passed and all the Ukrainian tennis players and the Ukrainians who are there have been really terrified by what is happening”, Svitolina confessed after the match in statements collected by the WTA website.
The Ukrainian player will help her country financially because now she is “playing” for her country and “for helping the Ukrainian army and people in need”. “Every win I’m going to get is going to be very special. I think my mission is to unite our tennis community to support Ukraine because what we are going through is something horrible for all Ukrainians”, he sentenced in statements reproduced by the portal www.abc.es.
The Monterrey Open is a WTA 250 category tournament that is played on hard courts and distributes a purse of $235,000 in prize money.
First round results
Marie Bouzkova (CZE) beat Sarah Errani (ITA) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
qinwen zheng (CHN) b. Lucia Bronzetti (ITA) 6-2, 6-3
Qiang Wang (CHN) to Dalma Galfi (HUN) 6-7 (0/7), 6-1, 6-4
Xinyu Wang (CHN) d Ann Li (USA/N.8) 6-2, 6-1
Nuria Parrizas (ESP/N.6) to Misaki Doi (JPN) 6-2, 6-1
Petra Martin (CRO) to Madison Keys (USA/N.3) 5-7, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3
Elena Svitolina (UKR/N.1)-Anastasia Potapova (RUS) 6-2, 6-1
Mayar Sherif (EGY) d Seone Mendez (AUS) 6-1, 6-7 (2/7), 6-4
The matches on Wednesday and Thursday in the second round are:
Elena Svitolin (UKR/N.1)-Viktoriya Tomova (BUL)
Marcela Zacarias (MEX)-Camila Osorio (COL/N.5)
Sarah Sorribes (ESP/N.4)-Harmony Tan (FRA)
Heather Watson (GBR)-Nuria Parrizas (ENG/N.6)
Xinyu Wang (CHN)-Beatriz Haddad (BRA)
Marie Bouzkova (CZE)-Petra Martin (CRO)
Mayar Sherif (EGY)-Qiang Wang (CHN)
Qinwen Zheng (CHN)-Leyla Fernandez (CAN/N.2) . (D)
Source: Eluniverso
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