"I was on a mission for my country" says Svitolina after thrashing Russian Potapova in Monterrey

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina thrashed Russian Anastasia Potapova in Mexico on Tuesday after changing her mind and playing the match.

Svitolina had initially refused to play her opening match against Potapova at the Monterrey Open but went ahead after tennis authorities decided to ban Russian and Belarusian players from competing under the name and flag of their countries. Speaking after the win, she said:

"Today it was a very special match for me. I'm in a very sad mood, but I'm happy that I'm playing tennis here. I was focused. I was on a mission for my country. From the beginning, it was important to be ready for anything that comes my way."

She further said:

"I think it's my mission to unite our tennis community to stand with Ukraine, to help Ukraine because what we're going through is a horrible thing for all Ukrainians. That's why I'm here. That's why I'm playing for my country and doing my best using my platform and using my resources to introduce that and try to invite people to support Ukraine."