Russia's Daniil Medvedev as expressed sympathy for Ukrainian tennis stars with the Indian Wells Masters having been tainted by issues arising from the ongoing war.
On Wednesday, the current world no.6 won through to the semi finals of the prestigious US tournament, overcoming a thumb injury to beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in straight sets. But the on-court action has been overshadowed by political matters off it, with Lesia Tsurenko withdrawing from her clash with Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka on Monday.
The Ukraine player later revealed that she had suffered a panic attack during talks with Steve Simon, the chief executive of the Women's Tennis Association. She later claimed to have been shocked by Simon's lack of empathy over the issue, saying he had expressed confidence that Russians and Belarusians will return to the Olympic Games next year.
