Ukrainian tennis player Lesia Tsurenko on Wednesday criticized the “lies” of the Russians in the missile attack on a shopping mall, saying she knew people affected by the attack after entering to the third round of Wimbledon. Tsurenko, who wears a bandage in a Ukraine shirt, recovered from losing the first set to beat compatriot Anhelina Kalinina 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. The 33-year-old said both players felt “incredible support” on Court 12, with fans waving Ukrainian flags. In her post-match press conference, she said she had been given permission by the Wimbledon chiefs to wear the band, referring to “terrible things going on in Ukraine”.
“In particular, it breaks my heart to see that Russian propaganda only says that the shopping center in Kremenchuk is not working,” she said.
“That’s a lie, because my gym coach, he’s from that city. His mother-in-law… she’s working in this mall, and she’s real. lucky to have a day off.”
“He and his father, they’re not far from there… the father fell because of the wave (concussion).”
A Russian missile on Monday destroyed a shopping mall in downtown Kremenchuk and – according to local officials – killed at least 18 civilians.
The Russian military said the next day it had struck a nearby weapons depot with an explosion that ignited a blaze in the center, which, according to Moscow, was at the time “inactive”.
Tsurenko said she feels helpless and “very sorry” for the situation in her war-torn homeland, which was invaded by Russia in February.
“I feel like there’s nothing I can do about it,” she said. “So the only thing is to keep playing, and like I said, I donate 10 percent of my winnings.”
Wimbledon ban
Tsurenko said she supported Wimbledon’s decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players from the Grand Slam.
She said she had heard from a Belarusian player and a Russian player who told her that they were against the war.
“I think I have a lot of friends on tour, especially Russians and Belarusians,” she added.
Tsurenko, ranked 101st, urges people around the world to help if they can.
“If they think a $10 donation means nothing, no, that’s not true,” she said. “It means a lot. In the city, the main city of my region, Mykolaiv region, they have not had water for several months.
“So if you think $10 is nothing, that’s 10 bottles of water to these people.”
The tennis player said her driver from her hotel to Wimbledon on Wednesday was picking up two people from Ukraine at her home, describing the help as “wonderful”.
Promote
“I was on the Polish border with Ukraine, and I saw hundreds, thousands of people,” she said. “They just don’t know where they’re going. They have all their lives in two bags.
“They have kids, grandparents that can stay with, and some, even disabled people. And they’re gone. So any support you give the Ukrainians is amazing. “
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