The China Mail - Sabalenka sets up Svitolina French Open clash, boycotts media

Australian Open champion Sabalenka defeated Sloane Stephens 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to reach the last eight in Paris for the first time.

That set up a clash with Svitolina on Tuesday for a spot in the semi-finals.

It will be the pair's third meeting but first since Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year. Belarus is a key military ally of Moscow.

Svitolina has played two Russians so far at the tournament and refused to shake hands with both in protest at the war.

Sabalenka defeated Svitolina's Ukrainian compatriot Marta Kostyuk in the opening round last weekend.

Kostyuk's decision also not to shake hands brought her a chorus of boos from the Paris crowd.

Kostyuk said the spectators who jeered her should be "embarrassed".

After beating Stephens on Sunday, it was announced that for the second match in succession Sabalenka would not appear at her post-match news conference.

She boycotted her last scheduled press conference on Friday after defeating Kamilla Rakhimova in the third round.

She claimed she "did not feel safe" when previously questioned about the war and her relationship with Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko.

"Aryna Sabalenka will not be doing a general press conference tonight," said the organisers in a statement.

"An interview with a WTA editorial reporter will be conducted shortly and transcribed and distributed."

Not surprisingly, the delicate question of a Belarus v Ukraine clash was avoided in an official handout provided by organisers.

Sabalenka limited her comments to Tuesday's match, pledging to show "my best tennis".

Sabalenka had fended off a series of tough questions over her stance on the war as well as her links to the government in Belarus.

- 'No comments' -

After her second round match on Wednesday she was asked why in 2020 she "signed a letter to support Lukashenko" when "he was torturing and beating up protestors" in the street.

"I have no comments to you, so thank you for your question," she replied.

Earlier, Svitolina, playing her first Grand Slam since becoming a mother, reached the quarter-finals for the fourth time.

The Ukrainian defeated Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) for a seventh win in seven meetings against the Russian who was a semi-finalist last year.

Despite not shaking hands, Kasatkina still gave her rival a friendly thumbs-up.

Svitolina said that she will not shake the hand of Sabalenka when they meet on Tuesday.

"I have played last two matches against Russian players so it will not change, everything will be same," she said.

"So I'm used to it now, it's gonna be the same."

S.Wilson--ThChM