Ukrainian Elina Svitolina advanced to the semi-finals of the National Bank Open in Toronto with a resilient 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 victory over Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova in the quarter-finals. What should have been a customary handshake at the end of the match resulted in avoidance. However, this was not shocking, looking at the tensions between the two countries.
Watch: Svitolina and Alexandrova avoid handshake on court following Russia-Ukraine tension
The tennis court has seen several players avoiding the traditional handshake, and this was one of the latest in the list. As has become customary in matches between Ukrainian and Russian or Belarusian players since the start of the war in Ukraine, there was no handshake at the net between Svitolina and Alexandrova after the match.
Talking of the match, the ninth seed dropped the opening set as Alexandrova, the 16th seed and recent conqueror of World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, dictated play with aggressive baseline tennis.
Svitolina responded emphatically, sweeping the second set to love and dominating the decider to seal the win in around 93 minutes. The result marks Svitolina’s fourth WTA 1000 semi-final of the 2026 season and her first appearance in the final four in Toronto since she claimed the title in 2017. She will next face Poland’s Iga Swiatek, who is back in her hot form.
ALSO READ: Tennis star Coco Gauff reveals what she would change about tennis