KEY POINTS:
- Tennis Australia said the Russian flag was removed after security spoke to the spectators who were displaying it.
- Russian and Belarusian flags were initially permitted at the Open so long as they weren't used to cause disruption.
- But Tennis Australia banned them after a Russian flag was placed courtside during a match on Monday.
Spectators have been captured flouting Tennis Australia's (TA) new ban on Russian and Belarusian flags being displayed at the Australian Open.
TA had initially permitted spectators to bring Russian and Belarusian banners to Melbourne Park, as long as they did not cause disruption.
But the policy was reversed on Tuesday morning after a Russian flag was prominently displayed courtside during a match involving Ukrainian player Kateryna Baindl.
Just hours after the ban was implemented, a Russian flag was hoisted by fans during the match between Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev and Austrian Dominic Thiem on John Cain Arena (JCA).
"A banned flag was waved by spectators during a match at JCA on Tuesday," a TA spokesperson told news agency AAP.
"The patrons were spoken to by security and the flag was removed."
Spectators displayed a Russian flag during the first-round match between Kateryna Baindl of Ukraine and Kamilla Rakhimova of Russia at the Australian Open. Source: AAP, Supplied / Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
TA's initial policy was that fans could bring Russian and Belarusian flags so long as they were not used to cause disruption
But it banned them after the appearance of a Russian flag during Baindl's three-set match against Russian Kamilla Rakhimova on Monday, which drew condemnation on social media from .
"The ban will be effective immediately," TA said in a statement on Tuesday morning.
"We will continue to work with the players and our fans to ensure that this is the best possible environment to enjoy the tennis."
Earlier, the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO) said the prominent display of the flag made a "mockery" of the conditions set by Tennis Australia.
"TA has clearly said that Russian tennis players cannot represent the flag of Russia. They have to play as ‘independent players’ under a neutral name," co-chair Stefan Romaniw said.
“How does this make sense? Why can a Russian flag be allowed on the courts?"
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, tennis players from Russia and Belarus were kicked out of the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup team competitions and , but allowed to compete in other grand slams as neutral athletes.
Similar bans were introduced in other sports including track and field, football and figure skating.
Mr Romaniw said during the war, some Ukrainian athletes had been fighting on the front lines, while others had been unable to visit their home country.
“Whilst Russian missiles fly, Ukrainian sportspeople fight on the front lines," he said.
"In April 2022, the Ukrainian Tennis Federation’s tennis centre outside of Irpin was razed to the ground by the Russian military. Ukrainian tennis players can’t visit their country to live, train or visit family.
“These are not normal times."
With additional reporting by AAP.
