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PARIS: Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina will meet in a politically-charged French Open quarter-final with the world number two immediately setting the tone for the high-profile duel by boycotting Roland Garros media for a second time on Sunday.
Australian Open champion Sabalenka defeated Sloane Stephens 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to reach the last eight in Paris for the first time.
That set up a clash with Svitolina on Tuesday for a spot in the semi-finals.
It will be the pair’s third meeting but first since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year. Belarus is a key military ally of Moscow.
Svitolina has played two Russians so far at the tournament and refused to shake hands with both in protest at the war.
Sabalenka defeated Svitolina’s Ukrainian compatriot Marta Kostyuk in the opening round last weekend.
Kostyuk’s decision also not to shake hands brought her a chorus of boos from the Paris crowd.
Kostyuk said the spectators who jeered her should be “embarrassed”.
After beating Stephens on Sunday, it was announced that for the second match in succession Sabalenka would not appear at her post-match news conference.
She boycotted her last scheduled press conference on Friday after defeating Kamilla Rakhimova in the third round.