Australian Open organizers refuse to exclude Russian tennis players
MOSCOW, January 5 – RIA Novosti. Despite calls for suspension, the Australian Tennis Federation will not change its stance on the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the Grand Slam tournament this year. informs The Sydney Morning Herald cites the organization’s statement.
Previously, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Australia, Vasily Miroshnichenko, urged Tennis Australia to prevent Russians and Belarusians from participating in the Grand Slam tournament, as happened at Wimbledon last year. He described the federation’s stance as “unprincipled” and said he would seek a meeting with Tennis Australia president Craig Tiley. Tiley himself stated in October 2022 that the federation would not interfere with the participation of Russian and Belarusian tennis players in the Australian Open.
Russian and Belarusian tennis players are allowed to participate in Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tournaments with neutral status in all countries except England. In response to the refusal of Russians and Belarusians to be admitted to Wimbledon 2022, the ATP and WTA have decided not to award rating points to tournament participants. In December, media reported that the ATP and WTA fined the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) $1 million for suspending Russian and Belarusian athletes.
The Australian Open will be held from January 16-29.
Source: Ria
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