MELBOURNE, Australia — Flags from Russia and Belarus had been banned from the positioning of the Australian Open on Tuesday after multiple was introduced into the stands by spectators on Day 1 of the 12 months’s first Grand Slam match.
Usually, flags may be displayed throughout matches at Melbourne Park. However Tennis Australia reversed that coverage for the 2 international locations concerned within the invasion of Ukraine that started practically a 12 months in the past.
“Our preliminary coverage was that followers might carry (flags) in however couldn’t use them to trigger disruption,” Tennis Australia stated in an announcement on Tuesday. “Yesterday we had an incident the place a flag was positioned courtside. We are going to proceed to work with the gamers and our followers to make sure that that is the very best atmosphere to benefit from the tennis.”
One Russian flag was displayed throughout Ukrainian participant Kateryna Baindl’s 7-5, 6-7 (8), 6-1 victory over Russian participant Kamilla Rakhimova on Courtroom 14 within the first spherical on Monday.
One other was supplied to Russian participant Daniil Medvedev to autograph after his 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 win over Marcos Giron in Rod Laver Area on Monday night time.
Requested concerning the new flag ban, Belarusian participant Aryna Sabalenka stated after her first-round victory Tuesday that she would favor that politics and sports activities stay separate, however understands the choice by Tennis Australia.
“I imply, if everybody feels higher this fashion, then it’s OK,” stated Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam semifinalist who’s seeded No. 5 at Melbourne Park. “I’ve zero management on it. What can I say? They did it. OK. No flags? No flags.”
Sabalenka was among the many athletes from Russia and Belarus who had been barred from competing at Wimbledon and staff occasions such because the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup final 12 months due to the conflict in Ukraine. Russia invaded, with assist from Belarus, in February.
Russian and Belarusian gamers have been allowed to enter the opposite three Grand Slam tournaments however as “impartial” athletes, so their nationalities will not be acknowledged on any official schedules or outcomes for the occasion and their international locations’ flags will not be displayed on TV graphics.
