Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk mentioned on Friday she was saddened to see Russian flags on the Australian Open regardless of a ban and was shocked by a safety lapse that allowed spectators to boost flags in and round Melbourne Park.
Novak Djokovic’s father Srijan mentioned earlier on Friday he wouldn’t attend his son’s semi-final towards Tommy Paul after a video emerged exhibiting him posing with followers holding Russian flags in a Melbourne park.
Earlier this week, police questioned 4 followers following Djokovic’s quarter-final win over Andrey Rublev after a video on social media confirmed one fan holding a Russian flag with a picture of President Vladimir Putin .
Russian and Belarusian flags have been banned from Melbourne Park through the Australian Open following a criticism from Ukraine’s ambassador to the nation final week. Belarus is a key staging floor for Russia’s conflict in Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special operation”.
“It hurts because there were specific rules, they were printed out that flags are not allowed,” Kostyuk advised reporters after she was eradicated from the ladies’s doubles competitors with Elena-Gabriella Ruse.
“It’s not unimaginable, however you are not allowed to deliver flags and so forth. It actually hurts that they have been there for a very long time.
“They have been on the courtroom, they have been within the stands, and I do not perceive both. It actually hurts and I do not perceive how that is attainable.”
Djokovic will proceed his bid to equal Rafa Nadal for a record-raising tenth Australian Open title and twenty second Grand Slam title when he takes on unseeded American Paul in a while Friday.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
