'I was focused. I was on a mission for my country,' Elina Svitolina, wearing her country's yellow and blue, said after her victory.
MEXICO CITY — Elina Svitolina put on the yellow and blue colors of Ukraine and beat Anastasia Potapova of Russia 6-2, 6-1 on Tuesday in the opening round of the Monterrey Open, deciding she could do more for her country by playing than boycotting the match.
"I was focused. I was on a mission for my country," she said."From the beginning, it was important to be ready for anything that comes my way." Svitolina, who broke serve in the first and third games on the way to a lopsided win over Potapova in 64 minutes, will play against Viktoriya Tomova in the second round.
In her social media post Monday, Svitolina said her objective in demanding tennis follow the International Olympic Committee's lead and insist that players from Russia and Belarus are only identified as"neutral athletes" was not against individual competitors.
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