Russian stars set for anxious wait to see if they can play at Wimbledon after widespread visa delays affecting the likes of 16-year-old starlet Mirra Andreeva and world No 2 Daniil Medvedev
Some Russian players face an anxious wait to find out if they will be allowed to play at Wimbledon due to delays in processing their visas.
Several are known to be concerned, including the 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva, regarded as the most exciting upcoming talent in the women’s game.
According to player agents, visas for those from Russia and Belarus are taking a minimum six weeks to process, and often longer as extra security checks are being carried out on those from the two nations who have been attacking Ukraine.
It is also known that a priority scheme, whereby an extra fee can be paid for a speeded-up application process, is not available to them.
Aside from Andreeva, world number two Daniil Medvedev has also suggested that he faces a wait before knowing if he can play.
Some Russian stars face an anxious wait to find out if they will be allowed to play at Wimbledon
The likes of 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva and world No 2 Daniil Medvedev are waiting nervously
However, as one agent pointed out, many of the Russian tennis players are residents of countries like Spain and Dubai, and can travel with passports from the EU or the United Arab Emirates.
Wimbledon and British tournaments are being obliged this year to re-admit players from Belarus and Russia, under threat of heavy sanctions from the international tours, who have a policy of allowing them to play as neutrals.
The Home Office was not available for comment, but it has previously stopped short of refusing to issue visas for tennis players as it does not want to set a wider precedent.
The French Open saw its first default of the tournament when Japanese player Miyu Kato accidentally struck a ball girl and made her cry.
Playing alongside partner Aldila Sutjiadi from Indonesia in the third round, Kato hit a ball from her side of the net to the back of the court which hit the ballgirl.
There did not appear to be any malice or anger in the stroke, although it did hit the girl on the full, and she was clearly upset.
However, umpire Alexandre Juge initially showed leniency and issued a warning.
Then their opponents, Maria Bouzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo demanded that the supervisor be called to called, urging that it was a disqualification offence.
Meanwhile, the French Open saw its first default of the tournament when Japanese player Miyu Kato (right) accidentally struck a ball girl and made her cry in the women’s doubles
After Supervisor Wayne McKewen arrived at the court there was then a call for Tournament Referee Remy Azemar, and after a hiatus the offence was upgraded to a default.
‘At the end of the day, it was the referee’s decision,’ insisted Bouzkova.
‘He got the way we saw it, the way the umpire saw it, and the supervisor got information from that. They obviously, also, talked to our opponents and what they thought happened, and it was in his hands.’
On Saturday Russian starlet Mirra Andreeva was lucky to escape when she angrily swiped a ball into the crowd.
That seemed to have more intent, but the end result was different.