Australian Open star claims she received 'direct threat from opponent' during match

Lyudmyla Kichenok refused to shake hands with Kristina Mladenovic

Doubles star Lyudmyla Kichenok has claimed that Kristina Mladenovic "threatened" her during their third-round women's doubles match at the Australian Open. Fans noticed that Kichenok refused to shake the Frenchwoman's hand after losing the tie on Monday. The doubles world No. 4 has now alleged that Mladenovic threatened her after accidentally being hit by a ball.

Kichenok and her partner Chan Hao-ching were the No. 5 seeds in the doubles draw but they suffered defeat to No. 9 pair Mladenovic and Zhang Shuai in round three. After a close first set, Mladenovic and Zhang ran away with it, winning 7-6(3) 6-2. Kichenok did not shake Mladenovic's hand at the net, instead trading words with her opponent, and she has now addressed the reason for her snub. "I would like to clarify the situation that happened in my 3rd round AO match against Kristina Mladenovic," the 32-year-old penned in an Instagram story on Wednesday. "Publicly accused of bad sportsmanship. I would like to say my word. "I received very direct threat from my opponent after unintentionally hitting her with a tennis ball. The response to my numerous apologies was 'You watch out next time'.

Lyudmyla Kichenok took to Instagram to explain why she snubbed Kristina Mladenovic

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"I don't consider appropriate the act of respect like shake of hands in the end of the match with people who use verbal threats. Period". The Ukrainian tagged the WTA, the Australian Open and host broadcaster Channel Nine Wide World of Sports in her story. She followed it up with another post, sharing the effects of Mladenovic's "threat". Kichenok wrote: "1. Violation of Sportsmanship: Verbal threats on the tennis court go against the principles of sportsmanship. Tennis is a game that encourages respect for opponents, officials and the integrity of the sport. "Threatening language creates a hostile environment, undermining the spirit of fair play and camaraderie. "2, Psychological impact: Verbal threats can have a significant psychological impact on players. Tennis requires mental focus and concentration, and threats can disrupt a player's ability to perform at their best.

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