Elina Svitolina yesterday said that she hopes to bring “a little light” to the Ukrainian people after sweeping past a Russian into the Australian Open quarter-finals.
The 28th seed beat Veronika Kudermetova in straight sets at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne to set up a clash with Madison Keys of the US. Like other players from Ukraine, Svitolina did not shake hands with her Russian opponent because of the war, and wrote “The spirit of Ukraine” on a TV camera lens at the end of a 6-4, 6-1 victory.
“This fighting spirit I try to show, that I try to represent as well,” Svitolina told reporters. “These days are very difficult for Ukraine. It’s almost been three years that the war is ongoing. On a daily basis it is a very heavy rucksack that all Ukrainians have on their backs.”
Photo: AFP
“For me to find a way to win matches, to find a way to bring a little light, a little win for the Ukrainian people is something that I feel I am responsible for,” she said. “To bring the fight is the least that I can do.”
The 30-year-old from Odesa said that she could not see herself shaking hands with a Russian any time soon, even if the war were to end.
“I don’t really see it happening because it’s just a terrible, terrible feeling,” she said. “I do not wish anyone to ever experience this. To wake up to the news your friends died on the front line, being killed by Russian soldiers. It’s something that is really, really heavy on my heart.”
Asked whether new US President Donald Trump could make a difference, Svitolina said: “I feel like we should leave the stage to him. It’s difficult. There is a lot of talks going on how it’s going to be, what is going to be, if he’s going to finish the war in a few days or not. We can discuss this for hours, but no one knows really what’s going to happen. We are just patiently waiting for this moment.”
Organizers displayed a notice on giant Centre Court screens explaining to spectators that no handshake would take place and asking for “respect in these difficult circumstances.”
Svitolina reached the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park for a third time, but her first for six years. She has reached the last four in Grand Slams on three previous occasions, at Wimbledon in 2019 and 2023, and the US Open in 2019, but never in Australia.
Keys, who reached her maiden Grand Slam semi-final at the 2015 Australian Open, beat 2023 runner-up Elena Rybakina 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 in 1 hour, 49 minutes.
“It’s hard to believe that it was 10 years ago, but really proud of myself today,” said Keys, who also made the last eight in Melbourne in 2018 and 2022.
“She raised her level in the second set and played some really great tennis,” added Keys, who came into Melbourne Park in form having won the Adelaide warm-up event. “To still be up here and playing some good tennis all these years later, I’m really happy.”
In the third round of the mixed doubles, reigning champions Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan and Jan Zielinski of Poland fell to a 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Irina Khromacheva of Russia and Jackson Withrow of the US, while in the third round of the women’s doubles, fifth seeds Chan Hao-ching of Taiwan and Lyudmyla Kichenok of Ukraine fell to a 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 defeat to ninth seeds Zhang Shuai of China and Kristina Mladenovic of France.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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