PARIS – Elina Svitolina has accused Aryna Sabalenka of deliberately “inflaming” the tense stand-off between Ukraine and Belarus players at the French Open on Tuesday by staring her down at the net.

Sabalenka won their quarter-final 6-4, 6-4 and then approached the net in expectation of a handshake which Svitolina had already insisted beforehand that she was not going to offer.

All Ukraine players have refused to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian rivals in protest at the ongoing war.

Svitolina was as good as her word, ignoring the world No. 2, who was leaning on the net, and calmly walked back to her chair. She was, however, booed by the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd.

When asked if Sabalenka had inflamed the situation by standing at the net, she replied: “Yeah, I think so, unfortunately.”

“I don’t know why she was waiting because my statements were clear enough about the handshake,” added Svitolina, 28, who said she was not shocked by being jeered by a Paris crowd who had taken her to their hearts following her marriage to French player Gael Monfils.

“I was expecting that. Whoever in this situation loses, I guess, gets booed, so I was expecting that. It was not a surprise.”

She added that when she saw Sabalenka coming into the net, she thought: “What are you doing? I made my position clear.”

Sabalenka had defeated another Ukrainian, Marta Kostyuk, in the first round. Kostyuk also refused to shake hands and she, too, was booed.

“Maybe she’s (Sabalenka) not on social media during the tournament, but it is pretty clear. She played Marta as well the first round. So it’s quite simple,” Svitolina added.

The Ukrainian said she and her compatriots will continue their stance in the grass-court season which culminates in Wimbledon in June. “I won’t sell my country for the likes of people,” she said.

Svitolina also said Sabalenka should also be fined for refusing to attend two mandatory press conferences following her third- and fourth-round matches.

Two years ago, Japan’s former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka was fined US$15,000 (S$20,300) for not honouring her French Open media commitments because of mental health issues.

Sabalenka, 25, said that she boycotted her media duties because she did not feel “safe” in an atmosphere where she faced a barrage of questions over the war and her links to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Belarus is a close ally of Moscow.

“It should be equal for everyone. For example, Naomi got fined last time and this time there is no fine for the player who also skips the press conference,” said Svitolina.

“I have my strong position and I’m vocal about that. I’m not going to try to win likeness of the people by betraying my strong belief and strongest position for my country.”

Sabalenka, meanwhile, insisted that she did not support the war in Ukraine.

“I don’t want my country to be in any conflict, I don’t support the war,” she said. “I don’t support war, meaning I don’t support Alexander Lukashenko.”

On the court, the Belarusian has reached the French Open semi-finals for the first time. She had made it only to the third round in her past three appearances at Roland Garros.

She has also now made it to the last four at each of the Grand Slams, where she is on a 12-match winning run following her first Slam title at the Australian Open in January. Sabalenka will next face Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic.

Muchova had earlier stopped former French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia with a 7-5, 6-2 victory to march into the Roland Garros semi-finals for the first time in her career.

“I don’t know what to say – it’s been an incredible two weeks. I’m just glad I’m still in the competition,” said the Czech, who has largely flown under the radar in Paris after she stunned eighth seed Maria Sakkari in the opening round.

“It’s a great result for me, so I appreciate it a lot. I’m trying to focus on another match and I’m super pleased with the way this tournament is going.” REUTERS, AFP