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Flags from Russia and Belarus had been banned from the positioning of the Australian Open on Tuesday after multiple was introduced into the stands by spectators on Day 1 of the 12 months’s first Grand Slam event.
Usually, flags will be displayed throughout matches at Melbourne Park. However Tennis Australia reversed that coverage for the 2 nations concerned within the invasion of Ukraine that started almost a 12 months in the past.
“Our preliminary coverage was that followers may carry (flags) in however couldn't use them to trigger disruption,” Tennis Australia mentioned in an announcement on Tuesday. “Yesterday we had an incident the place a flag was positioned courtside. We'll proceed to work with the gamers and our followers to make sure that that is the absolute best surroundings to benefit from the tennis.”
One Russian flag was displayed throughout Ukrainian participant Kateryna Baindl’s 7-5, 6-7 (8), 6-1 victory over Russian participant Kamilla Rakhimova on Court docket 14 within the first spherical on Monday.
One other was supplied to Russian participant Daniil Medvedev to autograph after his 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 win over Marcos Giron in Rod Laver Area on Monday evening.
Requested concerning the new flag ban, Belarusian participant Aryna Sabalenka mentioned after her first-round victory Tuesday that she would favor that politics and sports activities stay separate, however understands the choice by Tennis Australia.
“I imply, if everybody feels higher this fashion, then it’s OK,” mentioned Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam semifinalist who's seeded No. 5 at Melbourne Park. “I've zero management on it. What can I say? They did it. OK. No flags? No flags.”
Sabalenka was among the many athletes from Russia and Belarus who had been barred from competing at Wimbledon and group occasions such because the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup final 12 months due to the warfare in Ukraine. Russia invaded, with assist from Belarus, in February.
Russian and Belarusian gamers have been allowed to enter the opposite three Grand Slam tournaments however as “impartial” athletes, so their nationalities are usually not acknowledged on any official schedules or outcomes for the occasion and their nations’ flags are usually not displayed on TV graphics.
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