On an unfortunate incident at #CincyTennis yesterday:
During the first set of the women's qualifying match between Anna Kalinskaya and Anastasia Potapova, one of the players complained to the WTA chair umpire, Morgane Lara, about a woman sitting in the stands...
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During the first set of the women's qualifying match between Anna Kalinskaya and Anastasia Potapova, one of the players complained to the WTA chair umpire, Morgane Lara, about a woman sitting in the stands...
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This spectator was named Lola.
She lives near the #CincyTennis tournament in Mason, OH, and was sitting with a Ukrainian flag draped around her body. Lola also wore a vinok, which is a Ukrainian floral wreath crown.
Lola was not saying anything, watching the match silently...
She lives near the #CincyTennis tournament in Mason, OH, and was sitting with a Ukrainian flag draped around her body. Lola also wore a vinok, which is a Ukrainian floral wreath crown.
Lola was not saying anything, watching the match silently...
...but after the Russian player complained to the umpire, the umpire descended from her chair and confronted the fan about her presence with the flag, telling her it was "not nice"...to be sitting with the flag.
Lola responded that it was "not nice to invade a country."
Lola responded that it was "not nice to invade a country."
The #CincyTennis security marshal on court (the one you can see with the white beard) then became aggressive with Lola, telling her that she had to leave the court or he would call the police.
Other spectators nearby at Court 8 quickly came to Lola's defense, saying she wasn't doing anything wrong or saying anything disruptive. She was just sitting there with her flag. They mentioned free speech, "land of the free," etc, but the marshal was unmoved.
Lola, not wanting to create a scene, got up and left the court. She and her friend, who is Ukrainian, were then walking around the grounds.
About 20-30 minutes later, she was approached by the #CincyTennis head of security...
About 20-30 minutes later, she was approached by the #CincyTennis head of security...
...He pulled out a rules document and told her that her flag was above regulation size, which is 18x18 inches.
This, of course, was not the issue that had started this confrontation, which was a WTA umpire acting on a Russian player's complaint about what the flag represented.
This, of course, was not the issue that had started this confrontation, which was a WTA umpire acting on a Russian player's complaint about what the flag represented.
Also, anyone who has been to #CincyTennis will know that there have been similarly sized flags happily waved and displayed around the stadia here for years, most often US and Serbian flags.
This is not a policy that has ever been enforced with any regularity.
This is not a policy that has ever been enforced with any regularity.
After briefly considering cutting her flag down to a regulation size, Lola was escorted by the security official to the parking lot, where he had told her she could store this offending Ukrainian flag in her car.
She was then allowed to return to the tournament grounds.
She was then allowed to return to the tournament grounds.
Asked for comment, the #CincyTennis simply pointed to the rule about flag size.
The WTA, whose chair umpire (and player) precipitated this incident, have not replied to a request for comment for nearly 24 hours now.
The WTA, whose chair umpire (and player) precipitated this incident, have not replied to a request for comment for nearly 24 hours now.
Tennis has not been consistent in how it has handled issues regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as we know, both in terms of policies and in symbolic displays of support.
But this incident, I believe, is a clear misstep.
(12/12)
But this incident, I believe, is a clear misstep.
(12/12)
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