CNN
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Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia has “strongly condemn[ed]” the Russian flag being displayed within the stands on the Australian Open.
The flag was seen in the course of the first-round match between Ukraine’s Kateryna Baindl and Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova in Melbourne.
In gentle of the struggle in Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian tennis gamers have been permitted to play on the Australian Open however should accomplish that “with out flags or nation recognition.”
“I strongly condemn the general public show of the Russian flag in the course of the sport of the Ukrainian tennis participant Kateryna Baindl on the Australian Open immediately,” Vasyl Myroshnychenko wrote on Twitter on Monday, alongside a photograph exhibiting the flag on show.
“I name on Tennis Australia to right away implement its ‘impartial flag’ coverage.”
It’s unclear who was accountable for displaying the flag in the course of the match.
An company photograph additionally reveals the Russian flag on show within the stands in the course of the first-round match between Daniil Medvedev and USA’s Marcos Giron.
CNN has contacted Tennis Australia however didn’t instantly obtain a response.
Baindl went on to win the match 7-5 6-7(10-8) 6-1 and can face American Caty McNally within the second spherical.
Tennis’ response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been some extent of controversy over the previous 12 months.
Final 12 months, Wimbledon organizers banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing within the match within the face of “unjustified and unprecedented army aggression,” in line with a press release launched in April.
The ATP and WTA Excursions, the governing our bodies of males’s and girls’s tennis, later responded by stripping Wimbledon of rating factors within the face of what they deemed “discrimination” in direction of Russian and Belarusian gamers.
After her first-round victory on the Australian Open, Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk stated she won’t shake arms with rivals from Russia and Belarus, who she feels haven’t accomplished sufficient to talk out towards the invasion.
