Sawt Falasteen - Kostyuk defends racquet touch after Azarenka loss

Kostyuk was dumped out of the tournament by Azarenka in a 6-2, 6-3 loss in a match played against a backdrop of acrimony over the war in Ukraine.

Belarus is a close ally of Russia and has allowed Moscow to use its territory to launch attacks into Ukraine.

Although there was no sign of animosity during Thursday's match, Kostyuk offered only a perfunctory touch of racquets instead of a handshake after her defeat.

Kostyuk said she opted for the racquet touch as a way of expressing her frustration with Azarenka, accusing the 33-year-old WTA Tour veteran of not being more vocal against the conflict in Ukraine.

"I just don't think it's the right thing to do in the circumstances I'm in right now," the 20-year-old from Kyiv said. "It was just my choice. I didn't feel like it."

Kostyuk said she had attempted to contact Azarenka by text message on Wednesday to warn her that she would not shake hands. However Azarenka was not available to discuss the issue, she said.

"I had things to tell her before the match," Kostyuk said. "I genuinely wanted to warn her that I'm not going to shake her hand.

"She never came up to me personally to tell me her opinion, what she thinks (about the war)."

Kostyuk added that she bore no personal ill-will to Azarenka.

"I never had any personal hate towards her," she said. "I just feel she has such a big role, outside of the tennis in Belarus, and inside tennis in the WTA Players Council.

"I feel like she could have done more."

- 'Offered talks many times' -

Azarenka meanwhile was reluctant to dwell on the handshake snub, and pushed back at the suggestion she had not reached out to Kostyuk.

"I've offered many times through the WTA, because I believe that there is a sort of sensitivity," Azarenka said.

"I've been told that that's not a good time. I don't have, or I never had a close relationship with Marta. I obviously know who she is, but I've never practiced with her. I've never really had a conversation with her.

"I feel like I've had a very clear message from the beginning, that I'm here to try to help. Maybe not something that people see. And that's not what I do it for.

"I do it for people who are in need, juniors who need clothes, other people who need money or other people who needed transportation or whatever.

"That's what is important to me, to help people are in need."

Last week, Azarenka was axed from an exhibition event on the eve of the US Open aimed at raising money for Ukraine.

Azarenka was due to have joined the fundraiser, which was timed to coincide with Ukraine's Independence Day celebrations.

Kostyuk however was one of a number of Ukraine players who condemned Azarenka's proposed participation. Organisers subsequently jettisoned Azarenka.

"Imagine in World War Two there is a fundraiser for Jewish people and German people wanted to play," Kostyuk said Thursday.

"I don't think Jewish people would understand."

Azarenka said she had hoped to play in the event as a way of demonstrating her solidarity with those affected by the war in Ukraine.

"I thought that this was a gesture that really shows commitment. I'm not sure why it wasn't taken it that way," she said.

Kostyuk brushed off suggestions that Russian and Belarusian players might be reluctant to condemn the war for fear of repercussions for relatives and loved ones at home.

"I genuinely feel I'm in a much more difficult situation than they are," Kostyuk said.

"So I don't care what they feel, what they think. It's their choice. If they try to excuse themselves they're already losing."

P.Tamimi--SF-PST