War is rampant in Ukraine, and tennis continues to be played in Kazakhstan. But there, too, the Russian attack is ubiquitous – but not in the way one would imagine. At least that’s what Eva Lys reports. The young German hopeful completed a Challenger tournament in Nur-Sultan. At this also some Russian players were active.
Lys, 20, told Eurosport: “Many Russian players who are here are disrespectful to those affected by the Ukraine war.” Lys gave an example: “They laugh about it, make fun of it. Some demonstratively put on a tracksuit in the Russian national colors.” This annoys the tennis player, since she has Ukrainian roots and was born in Kyiv herself. The number 311 in the world competed in Nur-Sultan himself in yellow and blue, the national colors of Ukraine.
Lys says about the events at the Challenger tournament that it is important “that we spread what is really happening there strongly and widely. This message must reach everyone.” By the way, Lys failed in the tournament in the quarterfinals against the Russian Anastasia Zakharova. The tournament winner was the Russian Anzhelika Isaewa.