Gauff wins Australian opener after pep talk
Written by I Dig Sports
Afterwards, Yastremska said her grandmother's house was recently hit by a rocket in the ongoing war in her home country.
The 23-year-old said the resistance showed by her country against the Russian invasion is what motivates her on court.
"To talk about what is going on in Ukraine in a couple of seconds is not enough," she said in her on-court interview.
"I'm proud of Ukraine, proud of the people, the warriors and the people.
"When I was in Brisbane, before the match I was told a rocket arrived on my grandmother's house. It was hard to play.
"We need to remember about [the war] and give as much support to Ukraine as possible."
Elina Svitolina, another Ukrainian who has spoken at length about the impact of the war, is also through.
The 19th seed needed 59 minutes to complete a 6-2 6-2 win over Australian wildcard Taylah Preston.
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