Marta Kostyuk accused Russian players of hiding behind silence over the war in Ukraine, saying after ⁠four years of conflict they had shown “whose side they are on”, as she reached her first Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open.

The 23-year-old beat fellow Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-3 ⁠2-6 6-2 in an emotional quarterfinal on Tuesday, played hours after another night of Russian strikes on Kyiv, then launched a scathing attack on Russian players who continue to avoid publicly condemning the war.

Kostyuk, who will next face Russian Mirra Andreeva, said she no longer accepts the argument that Russian athletes could remain ‌silent because of possible repercussions at home.

“There is a way if you don’t agree,” Kostyuk told reporters. “I know some people who have left Russia the moment the war began, who sold all their business, who left everything behind because they just don’t agree with what their country is doing to other people.”

She cited fellow player Daria Kasatkina, who switched her allegiance from Russia to Australia last year, as an example of someone who had publicly spoken out ⁠despite pressure on her family.

“I don’t think she lives in Russia ⁠anyways, but the majority of players don’t live in Russia,” Kostyuk said. “There is nothing that’s stopping you if this is something you don’t believe in.

“After four years, I think they’ve made it very clear whose side they are on.”

Kostyuk’s comments ⁠came after she was asked about remarks from Russian players, including Diana Shnaider and Andreeva, who have previously said they focus only on the ⁠tennis ball and avoid political discussion.

“They are all grown-ups. They ⁠know what they’re talking about. They know what’s going on. They have phones. They have Instagram. They have news,” Kostyuk said.

“I wish there was some more clear stance on what’s going on, especially when your country is killing other people.”

Earlier, the ‌Ukrainian dedicated her victory to “the Ukrainian people” after revealing she had woken up to news of another deadly night of bombings before checking on her family’s safety.

Kostyuk said representing Ukraine had become ‌more ‌important than the results themselves.

“With everything that’s happening, for me being here is a real blessing, and I don’t think about winning,” she said. “I’m here to represent Ukraine and to enjoy.”

[Aljazeera]

Iran’s armed forces have issued a statement marking the anniversary of the death of founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and the Khordad 15 uprising, vowing to defend the Islamic Revolution against what it called US and Israeli aggression, according to state broadcaster IRIB.

The joint statement from the General Staff of the Armed Forces and the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said recent US and Israeli actions had “revealed to the world the true face of the false claimants of human rights,” citing the killing of more than 170 in a strike on a school in Minab as among “hundreds of crimes.”

“The Iranian nation will not retreat in the face of threats and aggression,” the statement said, adding that the armed forces would defend the ideals of the Islamic Revolution “to the death.”

The statement said Washington and Tel Aviv “will have no choice but to surrender before the divine will of the armed forces and the enlightened and aware nation,” and called on Iranians to rally behind what it described as the unity of national leadership.

The anniversary of Khomeini’s death on June 3 coincides with the Khordad 15 uprising in 1963, commemorated annually as a foundational moment of the Islamic Revolution.

[Aljazeera]

New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland have requested a meeting with Cricket Australia (CA) for Thursday to discuss the fallout from Cricket Victoria’s announcement about the merger of Melbourne Stars and Renegades, while the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) says the development has created “confusion, uncertainty and anxiety” among the players and believes the game is not unified on a way forward for BBL privatisation.

The revelations on Tuesday that Cricket Victoria plans to merge Stars and Renegades under a new name and colours for the upcoming BBL, while selling off the second BBL license entirely to a private owner, has caused chaos and confusion across Australian cricket. ESPNcricinfo understands that NSW are particularly angered by the situation and held a call with SA and Queensland, the other two states with varying concerns over privatisation, to discuss the issue on Wednesday before requesting an unscheduled meeting with CA on Thursday.