By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday February 14, 2024
We’ve all heard the saying: “Simply right here for the handshake.”
On Wednesday in Doha that may have been a superb plan, as a result of whereas Victoria Azarenka’s 6-0, 6-3 win over Jelena Ostapenko was rather a lot nearer within the second set, it wasn’t a lot of a match.
No, sadly, the factor that the majority followers will likely be speaking about with regards to Azarenka’s third win over Ostapenko within the final six weeks would be the handshake – or lack thereof.
Right here’s the way it went down:
The ‘Handshake’.
😂
— The Tennis Podcast (@TennisPodcast) February 14, 2024
Arduous to say what Ostapenko’s reasoning for not providing her hand to Azarenka after the match may need been. She did, nevertheless, provide her racquet, and was ready to change in a little bit of Covid-style racquet tapping with the Belarusian. Azarenka, a bit confused by all of it, declined.
Was Ostapenko simply being a sore sport? Was she performing in solidarity with Ukraine? Does she have Covid or one other sort of contagious sickness?
It seems that she’s following her countrie’s initiative: We realized on February 1st that “Latvia’s parliament voted Thursday to ban its nationwide groups from enjoying any nationwide groups of Russia and Belarus no matter what flag they might compete underneath, as a gesture of solidarity with Ukraine.”
We’re unsure how that may play out in tennis circles, however we might have simply gotten our first instance.
This, apparently, explains the awkward second on the internet, although we will not ensure till we hear from Jelena herself.
Be aware: This text was up to date for readability relating to Latvia’s choice to behave in solidarity with Ukraine.
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