By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, January 25, 2026Photo credit score: Australian Open Fb
Elina Svitolina is making main noise at this Australian Open—and Mirra Andreeva caught an earful after Svitolina swept her.
The Twelfth-seeded Svitolina confirmed sharp return abilities dismissing Andreeva 6-2, 6-4 rolling into her 14th profession Grand Slam quarterfinal, together with her fourth quarterfinal at Melbourne Park.
After Svitolina’s masterful 83-minute win, Andreeva—realizing that Ukrainian gamers gained’t shake fingers with Russians and Belarusians in protest of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine—shook fingers with the chair umpire, walked behind the chair umpire’s seat, picked up her Wilson racquet bag and walked off the courtroom eliciting a refrain of boos from some followers in Laver Enviornment.
Some say AO organizers dropped the ball on this case by failing to inform in Rod Laver Enviornment—both by an announcement or message on the large screens—that many Ukrainians don’t interact in handshakes with Russian and Belarusian gamers because of the battle. Others on social media mentioned Aussie followers ought to know by now of Svitolina’s stance in not shaking fingers with Russians and Belarusians.
The 31-year-old Svitolina avenged her quarterfinal loss to Andreeva at Indian Wells final March. Andreeva went on to win the Indian Wells championship.
On this rematch, Svitolina shredded the eighth seed’s second serve, profitable 15 of 20 second-serve factors and breaking serve 5 instances. Svitolina, who defeated Andreeva’s Olympic silver-medal profitable doubles associate Diana Schnaider in spherical three, has not dropped a set en path to a quarterfinal conflict vs. third-seeded Coco Gauff.
“It was essential for me to place stress, as a result of if I let her to take the benefit within the rally, she will strike the ball very well, and he or she is aware of find out how to win matches, to win tournaments. For me it was essential, yeah, simply to attempt to take the benefit first and attempt to discover a method, as a result of she’s a really difficult participant,” Svitolina mentioned. “She combine up the tempo, the size of the ball, so it’s a must to regulate actually fast, and it’s a must to make these split-second selections to both go or attempt to direct the ball in the precise place.”
It’s the second time this month a high-profile match has ended on a controversial word Down Below.
A frosty change adopted the ultimate in Brisbane between Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka and Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk.
Kostyuk continued Ukrainian gamers’ custom of declining the post-match handshake with Belarusian and Russian gamers.
Sabalenka, in an obvious dig at Kostyuk’s reported feedback on some stars’ greater testosterone ranges, kissed each of her biceps following her 6-4, 6-3 sweep and second straight Brisbane title.
In the course of the trophy presentation, Kostyuk didn’t cite Sabalenka’s identify, as a substitute praising the spirit and satisfaction of her Ukrainian compatriots and the ache she feels seeing struggling in her homeland.
“I need to say a couple of phrases about Ukraine,” Kostyuk mentioned. “I play day by day with a ache in my coronary heart. There are millions of people who find themselves with out gentle and heat water proper now, it’s minus 20 levels outdoors proper now, so it’s very, very painful to dwell this actuality day by day.
“I used to be extremely moved and completely happy to see so many Ukrainian followers and flags right here this week – Slava Ukraini.”
