Russian parliament, or State Duma, accuses handshake with Russian individual of being a propaganda move.
Down and Dirty: Svetlana Zhurova's Hot Take on Kostyuk's Handshake
Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk gets real slaggy with State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova, who calls her handshake with Russian-born Aussie Dar'ia Kasatkina at a Rome tournament "propaganda." According to Sport24, Zhurova's basically saying Kostyuk's just playing games, claiming, "This is a deliberate signal from Ukraine: we'll shake hands if you're not Russian." Dang, Zhurova, that's cold!
To break it down, the match between Kostyuk and Kasatkina went 6:4, 6:2 in Kostyuk's favor in 1 hour and 28 minutes. Kostyuk killed it, with three aces, six double faults, and six out of six break points conquered. Kasatkina, on the other hand, had no aces and converted only three out of nine break points. Alright, let's move on.
Next up for Kostyuk is Leila Fernandez of Canada. Fernandez triumphed over Croatian Antonia Ružić in their match.
But here's where it gets interesting: Kasatkina recently switched her citizenship to Australian, and Kostyuk's handshake was a show of respect for Kasatkina's guts in speaking against Russia's war and distancing herself from the Russian scene. Now, that's some solid sportsmanship, right?
But not everyone's buying it. Critics are branding Kostyuk a hypocrite for shaking Kasatkina's hand but not others who've renounced Russian citizenship. Some are even accusing her of being selective or politically influenced. Yikes.
Zhurova isn't holding back either, blasting Kostyuk's gesture as a political stunt. Zhurova's telling the world this situation reflects the deep divisions and tensions caused by the Ukraine-Russia war. Ouch, that's got to hurt.
Here's the gist:
- Kostyuk shook hands with Kasatkina, a move she's avoided with other Russian players due to the war.
- But Kostyuk gave it up for Kasatkina, who speaking out against Russia's aggression and changing her citizenship to Australia.
- Some are hating on Kostyuk, calling her out for not shaking hands with other Russian players who've renounced their citizenship.
- Zhurova ain't shy, slamming Kostyuk's handshake as propaganda that fuels the political divide caused by the Ukraine-Russia war[1][2][3].
Sports enthusiasts might discuss Marta Kostyuk's unusual handshake with Dar'ia Kasatkina, a former Russian player now representing Australia. Kasatkina has been vocal against Russia's war and has changed her citizenship, which some believe might be the reason behind Kostyuk's gesture. However, secretary of the Russian State Duma Sports Committee, Svetlana Zhurova, perceives it differently, stating that it's a deliberate political signal aimed at deepening divisions caused by the Ukraine-Russia conflict[1][2][3].
In the previous match, Kostyuk triumphed over Leila Fernandez of Canada, while Kasatkina recently beat Antonia Ružić of Croatia[1].
