MELBOURNE, Jan 26 — Novak Djokovic’s father has been filmed posing with fans brandishing professional-Russian flags at the Australian Open in scenes Ukraine’s ambassador Thursday slammed as “a disgrace”.
The Serbian star experienced just booked his location in the match semi-remaining with a straight sets thumping of Russian opponent Andrey Rublev in Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday night time.
After the match a group of fans unfurled Russian flags around the stadium, which include just one featuring Vladimir Putin’s encounter, chanting professional-Russian slogans.
Tennis Australia stated 4 men and women “revealed inappropriate flags and symbols and threatened safety guards”. Police were identified as and they were being ejected from Melbourne Park.
A movie afterwards posted to a professional-Russian Australian YouTube account showed Djokovic’s father Srdjan posing with a gentleman keeping the Putin flag.
It was captioned: “Novak Djokovic’s father helps make bold political assertion.”
Serbian tennis reporters confirmed it was Djokovic’s father and the Melbourne Age newspaper reported he claimed in Serbian: “Long are living Russia.”
Spectators are banned from obtaining Russian or Belarusian flags at the Grand Slam after Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia and New Zealand, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, demanded motion when they were seen between the crowd past week.
He said on Twitter Thursday that the most current incident was shameful.
“It’s a comprehensive deal. Between the Serbian flags, there is: a Russian flag, Putin, Z-symbol, so-termed Donetsk People’s Republic flag,” he tweeted with a website link to the video.
“It’s these kinds of a disgrace … @TennisAustralia @AustralianOpen.”
Yet another person was photographed by AFP inside the stadium during Djokovic’s match with a professional-war “Z” symbol T-shirt — connected with aid for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Because Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian gamers have usually competed underneath a neutral white flag as independents, as is the case at the Australian Open. — AFP