Dayana Yastremska lost in the final in Lyon and held back her tears as best she could during the award ceremony | Other Sports | sports

The Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska has not been able to end her week with a victory, falling defeated in the final of the WTA tennis tournament in Lyon, this Sunday at the hands of the Chinese player Shuai Zhang, number 64 in the world and seed number 8, in three sets 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Zhang, who beat France’s Carolina García in the semifinals (6-2, 7-5), and who has only lost one set during the tournament, revealed herself to be a very solid opponent and, without a doubt, more physically and mentally rested.

The Chinese had to exert less effort to beat Russia’s Vitalia Diatachenko on Friday in the quarterfinals, when her rival retired in the first set after just three games.

However, the 21-year-old Ukrainian, who was invited to the tournament on February 22, two days before the start of the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army, had a chance of winning: she won the first set and dominated the second by 2-0 and later 4-2 the last one, before probably succumbing to physical and emotional fatigue.

“I have played for myself and for my country. She had many emotions and she was very tired. I got a lot of energy from the support of the public, ”she said during the trophy presentation, holding back tears as best she could.

“I have fought for Ukraine and I appreciate the state of mind of the people of the country, where they are fighting,” insisted the player, with her yellow and blue Ukrainian flag on her shoulders.

With his young sister Ivanna (15 years old), he left his hometown of Odessa under bombs, before separating from his parents at the Romanian border.

From Bucharest he was able to travel to France and to Lyon, a city where they arrived on February 26.

Dayana Yastremska, who came to occupy the world number 21 before being suspended for a doping case from which she was finally acquitted, had not played a final since January 2020.

The Ukrainian announced that her goal was to “do her best” in this tournament in which she made her debut from 140th position in the world, a position to which she was relegated due to not being able to play.

Her journey through the tournament will allow her to get closer to the top 100 of the WTA (101st). (D)