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Tennis News –
Here are some recent comments made by the Russian tennis community and politicians after the Tours and International Tennis Federation agreed to remove ranking points from Wimbledon.No points at Wimbledon until Russians are allowed to play? Tennis authorities and politicians in Russia discuss the ATP, WTA and ITF’s decision Shamil Tarpischev (President of the Russian Tennis Federation): “We believe that this is an absolutely fair decision. It's nice to see ATP sticking to what’s been said earlier. This is right. The Brits violated the agreement, which says athletes can compete regardless of the nation and according to their personal ranking. It’s a logical decision by ATP and WTA, since all the athletes, who should play there, do not play there. It's nice that sports organizations are siding with the athletes. No one canceled the Grand Slam win - this is history and, of course, it has big prize money. But it is pleasing to see a fair decision. I think, that until Russian tennis players are allowed to play at Wimbledon, the tournament will not get back its points. As soon as they allow Russians to play, the points will be given back. As for the US Open, I have nothing to say until they say something about it. So far they haven't said anything. I hope the ATP leaders won’t allow infringing upon the interests of athletes and will stick to the “sport is out of politics” logic?”. Vladimir Kamelzon (Member of the RTF Board, Honored Coach): “The Wimbledon organizers suppose that today you can do to tennis the same things as to other sports. But I think they are deeply mistaken, tennis is a special sport, the organizers of Wimbledon still have time to change their minds, this is not good. Their decision undermines the authority of not only Wimbledon and Great Britain, but also the organization of big competitions in general. These three organizations - ATP, WTA, ITF - came out to protect their athletes, finally I stand completely on their side, they can attribute me to one of their allies, and there will be millions of them." “Finally, international sports organizations have shown wisdom, shown their true colors. The ATP and WTA have shown that they, first of all, protect the players and this is their job. For Thomas Bach, for example, his job is the Olympic Games, but he destroys them. And the tennis world stands with the players to defend them. This is a very wise decision. The Brits have turned their great Wimbledon into an exhibition tournament, which will no longer have any meaning and influence on the world of tennis. And these are their problems. "The Brits cut the branch they sit on. Wimbledon is “the major” of all majors. Chill out guys! Eat your strawberries and cream, cool your brain and think about what you're doing. I have a heart attack when I hear about the Wimbledon organizers because I don't like brainless people”. Viktor Yanchuk (Honored Coach): “This decision is historical truth and historical justice. This is a consolidation of healthy forces, morality and sports etiquette. I would call it a very positive development. The decision of ATP and WTA says that these organizations stand for fair competition. They supported our athletes regardless of politics. After all, athletes live in their own world and respect each other. If there were ranking points at Wimbledon now, this would put other tennis players and ours in unequal conditions. Take notice, Novak Djokovic also supported Russian tennis players”. Svetlana Zhurova (Member of the State Duma (Parlament)/”United Russia”, Olympics champion/speed skating): “It has been discussed for several weeks and there should have been a final decision. I assumed that under pressure a sound decision would not be made, but they (ATP, WTA, ITF) decided to follow the correct sports principle: if the best do not participate, the rest do not receive points. They simply withstood the sports principle, so I can’t say that I was surprised. The rank of Wimbledon itself is already less (meaningful), this is a very serious measure, all athletes should have the right to participate in tournaments. But it would not be entirely correct if one of the tennis players would boycott Wimbledon. You can speak out, but the boycott is not about sports, why should you do it?”. Sergey Burlakov (Member of the State Duma (Parlament)/”United Russia”, Deputy Head of the State Duma Sports Committee) “I am glad that there are athletes who are not afraid to express their opinion, although they say things that are obvious to everyone. I think that the best lesson [to give] to the UK in general - is to hold a tournament in another country”. At the same time, the MP did not rule out the possibility that many tennis players would support him in this statement. “The championship with a great history, traditions and worldwide fame in one second lost its authority, which had been formed for hundreds of years. I can imagine how insulting it is for tennis players who value sports values and understand what the sport of the highest achievements is. Discrimination based on nationality is a shame for any sports organization, and even more so for international competitions". Andrey Chesnokov (former World no.9, winner of 7 ATP tournaments) “In theory, if you do not allow [Russian players] to play at Wimbledon, you must articulate it, why you do not allow it. Medvedev has a powerful American lawyer. He can sue and ask Wimbledon to compensate him the money he could lose at Wimbledon. It could be 10-15 million dollars. This is not only money for winning the tournament, but also bonus money. I think that Wimbledon should be put in its place, put in this stall. What does Medvedev have to do with the political situation in Ukraine? None. I don't really understand what this solution is. Where is the connection? Previously, all Russian oligarchs invested money in England. And it was a lot of money. England carried Russians in her arms, including Abramovich. Suddenly he fell out of favor and became the first enemy. I don't understand this either. Therefore, what is happening now is not surprising. We need to put people in their place. Still, ATP and ITF also have to protect athletes. They have already abandoned the anthem and the flag. What else do you want? There is no such thing in the ATP rules. So you have to compensate financially. Everyone is yelling that politics is out of sport. Now it turns out that politics is in the first place, and sports are in the ass. The Brits no longer know how to offend the Russians. How many sanctions have already been put in place. They don't know how to hurt us even more. They increase the conflict and aggression between countries and people. They do not solve the problem, but rather exacerbate it. Idiots like the Norwegian biathlete, who now says that she was disgusted to stand at the Olympics with the Russian ... For me, this person has two brain cells. Why ashamed? What are biathletes guilty of? The conflict is about these people. Are you a politician? Then end uo with biathlon and go into politics. You will understand what the essence of the conflict is. You can’t treat Russians like that, like all the blame is on them. If a child with cancer is in England, should this child be expelled from the hospital? Should they say: "Go on, die on!" It's your fault that you are Russian. This is where the problem is. You can’t treat Russians like that, that they are all to blame. If a child with oncology is in England, should he be expelled from the hospital? Say: "Go on, die on!" It's your fault that you are Russian. This is where the problem is. Wimbledon decided not to allow Russians and Belarusians to participate in the tournament for several months prior to the start of the competition. There was little time for the ATP and WTA to take sanctions against the Brits. Perhaps it will affect Wimbledon next year. If the tournament organizers do not hear today's wake-up call, the ATP and WTA will take new, more powerful measures in the future. For now, the decision not to award Wimbledon ranking points hits tennis players more than the tournament organizers. The players feel such a blow. This is a punishment for them, not for the tournament. Will the organizers of, for example, the US Open follow the example of Wimbledon? If so, this will fundamentally change the situation. Perhaps it will come to the point that tennis players who were not allowed to play will consider representing another country. Still, for a tennis player, a ban on playing in tournaments is a physical death. But I doubt that the organizers of the US Open will take such a step. It seems to me that people there are more humane and adequate in relation to sports”. Let’s take a look at some headlines and opinion columns: - “No to “blind/total approval” (одобрямс – ironical slang for “full endorsement”)! Tennis has become a leader in the fight for the rights of Russians in sports” full story “Whose pressure on Wimbledon will end up stronger? The British government or the entire tennis world? Let's see. But here I would like to state the following fact: while one international federation after another shouts “blind approval”, and also violently and incessantly applauds the so-called recommendations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), removing Russians and Belarusians from participating in competitions, tennis suddenly found itself in at the forefront of the struggle for justice and effectiveness of the motto "sport outside politics". Even though it is also an Olympic sport”. - “The course of Biden and Johnson ain’t gonna fly: the world of tennis rises up to defend Russia” full story “In the ATP and WTA tournaments, Russian and Belarusian tennis players play in a neutral status. However, it is unlikely that anyone does not know which countries Daniil Medvedev and Andrei Rublev, Arina Sobolenko and Victoria Azarenka represent. ... “The fact that Medvedev and Rublev do not play at the Grand Slam tournament will not stop Russia's special operation in Ukraine overnight. Moreover, Rublev even offered to transfer the prize money won at Wimbledon to charitable foundations. But neither this impulse, nor the fact that at the tournament in Rotterdam Andrey won the doubles tournament together with the Ukrainian Denis Molchanov, did not make any impression on the British. Don't let them come - that's all! *BTU’s note: Molchanov and Rublev won a doubles title BEFORE the start of the full-scale invasion on February 24, not AFTER IT* “Nobody gets anything at Wimbledon this year. This immediately turns the centuries-old prestigious Grand Slam tournament into an ordinary commercial competition. It is not a fact that world tennis leaders who can earn money anywhere at any time will come to it. Not the fact that Wimbledon will be able to keep all the sponsors, who very scrupulously assess all the risks”. “Wimbledon, leading its history since 1877, is proud of tradition. The British people generally consider it a cultural phenomenon. Even the requirements for tennis players’ outfits (it must be white) have been preserved for centuries. For Maria Sharapova herself, no exceptions were made! Although, if there is anything special there, it is PR. During the 2012 Olympics, I had a chance to visit this tennis Mecca, as the British call Wimbledon. Grass on the far courts with bald spots. Dick Advocaat joked if there was a football turf of such quality in Vladivostok that he would not let even his goose step on it. The legendary strawberries with cream in the press center amaze you, perhaps, with their price. In London’s Mitcham area, populated by immigrants from all over the world, this dish is tastier and cheaper. In general, the desire of British tennis authorities to follow in line with Joe Biden and Boris Johnson turned out to be a serious problem for them. After all, before the start of Wimbledon there is still enough time for the sponsors to collect the prize fund for an alternative tournament, if not in Sochi [Russia] and Mogilev [Belarus], then at some European resort. It is not even necessary to look for the grass courts, which Ivan Lendl, who never managed to win the Wimbledon titled, called “a grazing”. After all, the grass season is short-lived, and after the tournament in the London suburbs, there is only one competition on this specific surface, in Newport, USA. In the US, Russians and Belarusians are allowed to participate in tennis tournaments if they have a certificate of vaccination”. - “Why the foreign tennis players Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray stand against the anti-Russian sanctions: what they say. Almost everybody in tennis support the Russians. Why they couldn’t do the same in figure skating?”. full story *Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with the Russian athletes, including figure skaters, during an awards ceremony for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games medal winners at the Kremlin in Moscow on April 26, 2022* - “Disappointed to tears”. Which tennis players supported or condemned the ban of Russians at Wimbledon”. full story “Who does not agree with the decision to exclude Russian and Belarussian players? Turned out, almost everybody. [...] Novak Djokovic, who knows first-hand about military conflicts, [...] 18-time Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova from Chezh Republic is also not pleased with the AELTC’s decision, [...] even the Brit himself, former World no.1, Andy Murray is against the ban, [...] John Millman supports Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, but anyway doesn’t see a reason to ban players. [...] the best tennis player of Tunis Ons Jabeur highlighted double standards and reminded us that military conflicts are happening not only in Ukraine, [...] one of the best players in the history Rafa Nadal also doesn’t understand, why Russians and Belarusians have to be excluded, [...] Nadal’s countrywoman Paula Badosa agrees with her legendary compatriot, [...] even such a great football player as Samuel Eto'o expressed his opinion [against the ban]. Who does support the ban? Mainly Ukrainians. Elina Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk, Lesia Tsurenko, Dayana Yastremska and others. - “Pouille you! Wimbledon starts losing players because of the scandal surrounding Russians” (the second name of the French tennis player, who said he would probably skip Wimbledon, so his surname rhymes with a Russian word “d*ck”. Here the author says something close like “puck you” instead of “f*ck you”. Hopefully, our explanation helps to understand the meaning). full story - “The most paid female athlete in world is ready to give up on Wimbledon” full story - “Tennis player from USA supports the strike (blow) at Wimbledon because of the sanctions on Russians” full story “American tennis player Stephens on the decision to strip points at Wimbledon: we will not tolerate the discrimination. [...] Criticism [towards Wimbledon] was supported by leading tennis players, including the World No. 1 Serb Novak Djokovic and the former World No.1 Brit Andy Murray”. _______ “RIA Novosti” is a Russian state-owned domestic news agency, “Match TV” is a part of a “Gazprom-Media” holding and is related to Tina Kandelaki, former TV host and the head of that sports channel, who’s been known for her ties to Ramzan Kadyrov and was one of the first Russian celebrities who supported the so-called “military operation”, “Sport Express” is related to Alina Kabaeva, who is the Head of the Board of the National Media Group. Sources: rsport.ria.ru; sport-express.ru; matchtv-ru; metaratings.ru Фото: AFP7 via ZUMA Press Wire. |
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