By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday February 14, 2024
We’ve all heard the saying: “Simply right here for the handshake.”
On Wednesdy in Doha that may have been a superb plan, as a result of whereas Victoria Azarenka’s 6-0, 6-0 win over Jelena Ostapenko was rather a lot nearer within the second set, it wasn’t a lot of a match.
No, sadly, the factor that the majority followers might be speaking about in relation to Azarenka’s third win over Ostapenko within the final six weeks would be the handshake – or lack thereof.
Right here’s the way it went down:
The ‘Handshake’.
😂
pic.twitter.com/ad0s3Rxdd5
— The Tennis Podcast (@TennisPodcast) February 14, 2024
Exhausting to say what Ostapenko’s reasoning for not providing her hand to Azarenka after the match may need been. She did, nonetheless, supply her racquet, and was ready to change in a little bit of Covid-style racquet tapping with the Belarusian. Azarenka, a bit confused by all of it, declined.
Was Ostapenko simply being a sore sport? Was she appearing in solidarity with Ukraine? Does she have Covid or one other sort of contagious sickness?
For now we’re left to take a position. However we do know that Ostapenko did shake arms with Azarenka of their earlier two conferences, which tells us that she’s seemingly not appearing in solidarity with Ukraine. And, primarily based on the truth that Ostapenko did shake arms with the umpire we rule out the contagious sickness – except she in some way believed Azarenka was contagious.
3 times of azarenka&Ostapenko’s handshake in 2024. pic.twitter.com/cCLhMiesls
— TennisMao (@AfiSeer73403) February 14, 2024
