Belarusian Azarenka beats Ukraine’s Kostyuk to reach third round at US Open, no handshake at the end

Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, the No 26 seed, won against Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-3 to move into the third round of the US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City on Thursday.

The match had a little more spice than normal after Kostyuk had criticised Azarenka’s intended presence in the Tennis Plays for Peace exhibition on the eve of the US Open because of Belarus’s involvement in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In the end, Azarenka was withdrawn from the event.

I always shake hands with my opponents. I had the same situation with Yastremska in Washington. It is what it is. I just move on.

Vika Azarenka

“Well, I wasn’t surprised”, Azarenka said to the media. “I don’t believe that making a big deal out of it is important. I always shake hands with my opponents. I had the same situation with Yastremska in Washington. 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.”

Azarenka, ranked No 26, will face the winner of the match between Spaniard Paula Badosa, the No 4 seed, and Croat Petra Martic next. Ahead of her victory, the 33-year-old Belarusian beat American qualifier Ashlyn Krueger (6-1, 4-6, 6-2). Kostyuk, ranked No 65, won against Egyptian Mayar Sherif (7-6 (2), 6-4) in the previous round.

US Open New York City (Grand Slam), other second-round results

• Jessica Pegula (8) beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich: 6-4, 6-4
• Sorana Cirstea vs. Belinda Bencic: thursday
• Lauren Davis vs. Ekaterina Alexandrova: thursday
• Bianca Andreescu beat Beatriz Haddad Maia (15): 6-2, 6-4
• Liudmila Samsonova beat Leylah Fernandez (14): 6-3, 7-6 (3)
• Aleksandra Krunic beat Barbora Krejcikova (23): 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
• Serena Williams beat Anett Kontaveit (2): 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-2
• Ajla Tomljanovic beat Evgeniya Rodina: 1-6, 6-2, 7-5
• Caroline Garcia (17) beat Anna Kalinskaya: 6-3, 6-1
• Coco Gauff (12) beat Elena-Gabriela Ruse: 6-2, 7-6 (4)
• Dalma Galfi beat Harriet Dart: 6-4, 6-0
• Veronika Kudermetova (18) beat Maryna Zanevska: 6-2, 6-3
• Rebecca Marino beat Daria Snigur (Q): 6-3, 7-6 (5)
• Madison Keys (20) beat Camila Giorgi: 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (6)
• Shuai Zhang beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova: 7-5, 6-1
• Alison Riske-Amritraj (29) beat Camila Osorio: 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5)
• Ons Jabeur (5) beat Elizabeth Mandlik (WC): 7-5, 6-2
• Xiyu Wang beat Maria Sakkari (3): 3-6, 7-5, 7-5
• Shelby Rogers (31) beat Viktoria Kuzmova (Q): 7-5, 6-1

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