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Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia desires Novak Djokovic’s father banned from the Australian Open for posing with supporters of Russian president Vladimir Putin exterior Melbourne Park.
A gaggle of followers, together with a person holding a Russian flag with Putin’s face on it, gathered on the steps exterior the grand slam advanced on Wednesday.
In a video posted to YouTube on Thursday, Srdjan Djokovic was filmed with the pro-Russian spectators, briefly talking to the digital camera in Serbian earlier than strolling off.
It comes after Tennis Australia banned spectators from carrying and displaying Russian and Belarusian banners in Melbourne Park on the second day of the event.
Ukraine’s Australian ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko says Tennis Australia ought to ban Srdjan Djokovic for “such a shame”.
“It is as much as Tennis Australia to take motion,” he informed Information Corp.
“I feel it will be an excellent thought to not let him in,” Myroshnychenko stated.
“I do not know why he would say one thing like that contemplating what the Russians are doing in Ukraine, how many individuals they’ve killed, tortured, raped and all of the abstract executions which have occurred towards civilians.”
Novak Djokovic performs American Tommy Paul in a semi-final on Friday evening.
Tennis Australia issued a press release on Thursday which didn’t straight tackle Srdjan Djokovic’s actions.
“A small group of individuals displayed inappropriate flags and symbols and threatened safety guards following a match on Wednesday evening and had been evicted,” it learn.
“One patron is now helping the police with unrelated issues.
“Gamers and their groups have been briefed and reminded of the occasion coverage concerning flags and symbols and to keep away from any state of affairs that has the potential to disrupt.
“We proceed to work carefully with occasion safety and regulation enforcement companies.”
Previous and current Russian flags, the Russian Eagle flag, Belarusian flags and objects of clothes with the Z image are prohibited objects at Melbourne Park.
TA had initially allowed spectators to carry Russian and Belarusian banners to Melbourne Park, so long as they didn’t trigger disruption, however the coverage was rapidly reversed.
That rule has been flouted on a number of events however Wednesday evening’s incident was clearly probably the most blatant.
Russian and Belarusian gamers, together with Rublev, fellow Russian Karen Khachanov and Belarusian girls’s semi-finalists Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka, had been allowed to compete in Melbourne however should achieve this below a impartial banner.
