US Open 2022: Victoria Azarenka triumphs in grudge match against Marta Kostyuk

New York: Victoria Azarenka triumphed in a politically-charged grudge match at the US Open on Thursday as Serena and Venus Williams prepared to revive their record-setting doubles partnership for the last time at a Grand Slam. Azarenka, a former world number one and a two-time major winner, cruised past Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-3 in a match dominated in the build-up by bitter exchanges over the conflict in Ukraine. Last week, Belarusian Azarenka was axed from an exhibition event aimed at raising money for the war-ravaged country. Ukraine star Kostyuk had refused take part in protest at the presence of Azarenka who she has criticised for a perceived failure to condemn the invasion of her home country. Belarus is a close ally of Russia and has allowed Moscow to use its territory to launch attacks into Ukraine. The tension between the two women was evident at the end of their tie on Court 17 with Kostyuk offering just a touch of racquets instead of the customary post-match handshake. “I wasn’t surprised. I don’t believe that making a big deal out of it is important. I always shake hands with my opponents,” said Azarenka. “It is what it is. I just move on. I cannot force anybody to shake my hand. It’s their decision. How did it make me feel? It’s not the most important thing in the world right now.” Kostyuk, the 20-year-old world number 65, said a handshake would not have been appropriate. “I genuinely wanted to warn her that I’m not going to shake her hand,” she said. “She never came up to me personally to tell me her opinion, what she thinks (about the war).” Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.