After blockbuster but controversial Wimbledon tie Svitolina will meet Azarenka again at DC Open in Washington

Ukraine’s tennis star Elina Svitolina and the former world number one Victoria Azarenka are set to meet once again, just 20 days after their blockbuster clash in Wimbledon.

Both players met during the fourth round of the third Grand Slam of the year in London earlier this month.

The match remained in the news for days after as Svitolina refused to have a handshake with the Belarusian tennis star, largely in protest of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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The armed conflict, which started back in February 2022, between the two European neighbours, has already resulted in the loss of lives on both sides.

Tennis fans will once again get a chance to see the duo go head to head after the draw for the Citi Open in Washington was announced on Friday. The two are scheduled to face each other in the opening round of the tournament.

In their Wimbledon fixture, Svitolina came out on top with a score of 2-6, 6-4, 7-6. She later went on to describe why she didn’t have a handshake with the former top-ranked player in the circuit.

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"Because how hard this match was and how much it means to me, as well,” she said back then. “I know that a lot of people back home watching, supporting me. I feel responsibility, as well. So if I'm going out to play this match against Russian, Belarusian, I feel of course more pressure that I need to win. That's why it means a lot to get these kinds of wins.

“In my own way, to bring this victory, small victory, to Ukraine. I got lots of support, and I quickly checked my phone. There was like over 60, 70 messages that I got from people. They were watching, they were cheering, lots of videos from people watching it on the TV. Really proud of the effort that I did."

Elina Monfils

@ElinaSvitolina

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