(Reuters) – Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, who was forced to flee her home after Russia’s invasion last week, said she wants to keep winning for her country after reaching the quarter-finals of the Lyon Open.
The 21-year-old and her younger sister Ivanna spent two nights in an underground car park last week before their parents sent them out of Ukraine by boat to Romania and then on to France.
Yastremska collapsed in a heap on court after her win over Romanian Ana Bogdan at the WTA 250 event on Tuesday but said she was dealing with the situation better following Thursday’s 6-2 6-3 victory over Cristina Bucsa.
“Today definitely was a little bit easier with my emotions,” Yastremska said. “I could keep them under control, so I’m very happy with that.
“Yesterday I tried to recover as fast as possible to prepare for my match and I’m still very nervous because I really want to win the matches for my country.
Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a “special operation”.
“This tournament is very emotional for me, but I’m very happy with the win,” Yastremska said, adding that she was happy to be in a safe place with her sister.
“Every point that I’m playing here, I’m enjoying a lot, and especially with the situation that we have now, I’m enjoying it like a thousand times more,” she said.
“I’m going to try my best to win my next match.”
(This story has been refiled to fix an incorrect image)
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; editing by Richard Pullin)
