"We were afraid of bombs or meeting Russian tanks" - Dayana Yastremska on her terrifying journey after fleeing Ukraine
Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska saved two match points before sealing a titanic 3-6, 7-6(7), 7-6(7) win over Ana Bogdan in their first-round encounter at the 2022 Lyon Open on Tuesday.
The win held a much larger significance for Yastremska, who, along with her 15-year-old sister Ivanna, was forced to flee her home country following its invasion by Russia.
During a press conference, Yastremska reflected on the difficult circumstances leading up to her match against Bogdan. The Ukrainian, who had to leave her parents behind in Odessa, said she was shocked and confused after waking up to the news of her city being bombed a few days ago.
Yastremska said the family had to take shelter at an underground parking lot as the bombing continued into the day.
"On Wednesday, we were at home in Odessa,” Yastremska said. “We were spending time with our family before making this long trip to Lyon with my father. The evening was pleasant, but the next morning we were woken up by bombs."
“We didn’t realise or understand what was going on … It was crazy," she continued. "It wasn’t a film or a video game. We were very shocked. We left the apartment to take shelter in the underground car park while the bombs continued to explode.”
Yastremska said her parents made the decision to send her and her youngster sister out of the country. Recalling the horrid journey to Danube, Romania, the 21-year-old said they were in constant fear of running into Russian tanks.
"The journey took four hours to reach the Danube on the Romanian border,” Yastremska said. “We were afraid of bombs or meeting Russian tanks. There was a long line of cars at the border and we ended up walking. That’s where we said goodbye to our parents, because our mother said at the last minute that she was going to stay with father."
“We were shocked, but at the same time we didn’t want our father to stay alone there," she continued. "Ivanna started to cry a lot and I had to keep my emotions under control because I took a big responsibility. My father told me, ‘I don’t know how everything will end, but you have to take care of each other. You have to build your new life’.”
Dayana Yastremska and Ana Bogdan share heartwarming moment after Lyon Open match
Yastremska shared a heartwarming moment with Bogdan at the end of their marathon first-round encounter, with the Romanian embracing the Ukrainian and offering a few words of support.
Yastremska later took to Instagram to thank Bogdan for her gesture. Bogdan responded by saying the day belonged to the Ukrainian. The Romanian went on to express hope for the safety of Yastremska's family and the people of Ukraine.
"Today was meant to be your day. And you deserve it totally! It was the hardest match I've ever played in terms of feelings and holding emotions.. I had to put up a fight because this is competition, but somehow I knew it was not fair. May God protect you, your sister, your family and all the other people! May we all live in peace," Bogdan said.
🏼 When life is bigger than a loss. 💙💛
Lovely moment in Lyon, where Romania's @ana_bogdan offers an extended embrace to @D_Yastremska after the Ukrainian saved two match points to prevail in 3:05.
The power of sport to unite is real. 🙏🏼
The Latest: tnns.co/ukraine https://t.co/YMjqMfsNIg