Victoria Azarenka was ordered to take off a shirt she was carrying in a weird scene forward of her Australian Open semi-final loss on Thursday evening.
After an exhilarating first set, reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina clinched the tiebreaker and received the match 7-6, 6-3.
Earlier than the match, Azarenka walked into the Rod Laver Enviornment carrying a Paris Saint-Germain soccer jersey, however referee Alison Hughes shortly eliminated it.
The 33-year-old had worn the Paris Saint-Germain shirt on the sphere earlier than a lot of her matches at Melbourne Park, explaining that she wears it as a result of it’s the membership that her son Leo helps and needs to play for at some point.
Azarenka had additionally worn the jersey throughout press conferences, however the referee advised her to take it off and heat up within the uniform she can be taking part in in.
The 2-time Australian Open champion caught to the steering and mentioned she thought it was a sponsorship challenge.
“They requested me to take it off twice as a result of I used to be carrying a distinct shirt,” Azarenka mentioned in her post-match press convention. “I feel it is the sponsorship challenge. I feel logos are too large… I do know I am not allowed to play in that. I knew that type of factor.
“However I can nonetheless step on the courtroom in what I need to step on the courtroom. I do it for my very own causes. My son wore a white jersey at this time for his observe, and I attempted to put on a white jersey for my match however I could not. In order that’s fantastic.”
Victoria Azarenka hits the ball pissed off on the Australian Open.
Elena Rybakina superior to the ultimate of the Australian Open.
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Victoria Azarenka hits a backhand within the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
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Azarenka was vying to turn out to be the fourth girl to win a Grand Slam event after turning into a mom however fell wanting the uncommon feat.
Saturday’s remaining will witness Rikabena’s confrontation with Arina Sabalenka, after the Belarusian participant defeated Poland’s Magda Linette 7-6, 6-2 within the different semi-final.
Azarenka wasn’t within the temper for reporters after her shedding streak.
The veteran was requested a thorny query in her post-match press convention about Russian nationalists staging an illustration in help of President Vladimir Putin outdoors Rod Laver Enviornment.
On Thursday, Novak Djokovic’s father, Sardan, appeared He posed for a photograph with group members, together with a person carrying a T-shirt with a pro-war “Z” image on it. The demonstration, which adopted Djokovic’s win over Andrey Rublev on Wednesday evening, was a vital speaking level, however Azarenka, who performs below a impartial flag as a Belarusian, cleared the strings of questions.
Azarenka Alternate with one reporter She turned listless as she mentioned her response would seemingly be “spinning”.
“You ask me about issues that somebody may say are below my management,” she mentioned, “however I do not consider it.” “I do not know what you need me to reply. If it is a provocative query, then you may write the story nevertheless you want.”
She mentioned the off-field scandal had nothing to do with the gamers on the event.
“No matter reply I’ll now offer you,” she mentioned, “will probably be was no matter manner you need it to be turned.” “So does that trouble me? What bothers me is that there are actual issues happening on this planet.”