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'She didn’t shake my hand but…,' Aryna Sabalenka breaks her silence on Lesia Tsurenko’s post-match demeanor as she advances into the fourth round at the Australian Open

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Laxman Naren | Last updated 1/19/24

In the world of sports, there are many instances where the players form automatic rivals with other players from rival countries. In tennis, we have witnessed the tension during the matches between a Russian player and a Ukrainian player as both of them play not for themselves but for their country as well.

Recently, Lesia Tsurenko from Ukraine refused to shake hands with Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka after their match, who is quite used to it now. It was the third match at the Australian Open where the defending champion was up against the very talented Tsurenko. It was the powerful Sabalenka who stood tall after a double bagel victory leaving her opponent flabbergasted. In one of the shorter matches, the World No.2 beat her third-round opponent 6-0,6-0 to book her ticket to the next round.

After the match, the Ukrainian refused to shake hands with the Russian due to the obvious political issues between the countries. Despite this, Tsurenko displayed sportsmanship by giving credit to her opponent if not shaking her hand. Sabalenka said to the AO Press:

She was quite respectful. She said, Great play. She didn't shake my hand, but she was respectful to me, so I appreciate that. Aryna Sabalenka said

This was not the first time that a Ukrainian refused to shake the hand of a Russian player. Previously, Elina Svitolina refused to shake hands with Anna Blinkova and even Marta Kostyuk did the same with Sabalenka.

Aryna Sabalenka calls her performance perfection as she clean sweeps her opponent to advance to the next round

A very dominant Aryna Sabalenka secured her place in the top 16 of the Australian Open after a convincing victory against Lesia Tsurenko.

Continuing her aggressive run in the tournament, the Belarusian hasn’t lost a set till now nor has anyone even come close to taking the set to a tie-break. In another aggressive showdown, the World No.2 beat her opponent without conceding any game.

Sabalenka now advances to the fourth round of the tournament where she is scheduled to play against Amanda Anisimova. The American secured her spot in the 16 after a much-needed win against a returning Paula Badosa. Starting the day off with a bang, Anisimova finds herself in another round against the defending champion. With the kind of form Sabalenka is in, she is a sure favorite of the tournament who is laser-focused on a successful title defense.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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