A large Ukrainian flag wrapped around a fan during the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati on Sunday drew a complaint and the woman was asked to remove it from the event, officials said. The issue began during a qualifying match between Russian players Anna Kalinskaya and Anastasia Potapova, leading one of the players to complain to WTA chair umpire Morgane Lara about the fan in the stands, according to multiple reports. Lara told the fan she was “no good” and should put the flag away, WKRC-TV reported. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM View of the Western and Southern Open logo on a tennis ball in Mason, Ohio, August 14, 2019. (Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports) The woman, who identified herself only as Lola, is Uzbek-American and said she and the people she was with were “sitting there quietly and quietly” before she was asked to remove the flag. “This is not Russia. This is the United States of America,” he told the station. The video posted on Twitter shows Lara confronting the fan. Lola told WKRC-TV that the tennis players started playing again for a few minutes before a security guard approached her. SERENA WILLIAMS’ CAREER IS RIGHT WITH MICHAEL JORDAN AND TOM BRADY, JOHN McENROE SAYS Western & Southern Open officials said in a statement to Reuters that the flag was too long. “In accordance with the Western & Southern Open’s baggage policy, as stated on the tournament website, flags or banners larger than 18 x 18 are prohibited. Therefore, the patron was asked to remove the flag from the court and after doing so, his he was allowed to remain in the tournament,” a spokesperson for the event said. “Any questions regarding the chair umpire should be directed to the WTA Tour.” A view of the tournament logo on the court barrier during the Western and Southern Open tennis tournament at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, August 16, 2021. (Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports) Russian and Belarusian players have come under fire at various sporting events around the world due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Players from these countries were banned from Wimbledon earlier this summer. The US Open will only allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete in the tournament under a neutral flag. Ryan Gaydos is the sports editor for Fox News and Fox Business. Story tips can be sent to [email protected]
