WATCH: Aryna Sabalenka & Elina Svitolina continue their non-handshaking ways after late-night thriller at Italian Open

Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka fought off a stern challenge from Ukraine's Elina Svitolina in the pre-quarterfinals of the 2024 Italian Open late on Monday, May 13. She defeated Svitolina with a comeback effort. However, the two did not shake hands amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

This was Sabalenka and Svitolina's fourth meeting on tour and the former secured a 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(7) win to take a 3-1 lead in the head-to-head. The late-night thriller lasted two hours and 22 minutes, with the deciding set going over the one-hour mark.

The political turmoil between Ukraine and Russia seems to still have an impact on the tennis circuit as Svitolina and Sabalenka ended their gripping battle without the customary handshake, again. The two seemed to have locked their eyes in acknowledgment but the intimate camaraderie was missing.

This is the second time the two players have not shaken hands after a duel. It happened for the first time after Sabalenka overcame the Ukrainian in the quarterfinals of the 2023 French Open. Svitolina had refrained from embracing Sabalenka, who was waiting at the net, as Belarus supported Russia in the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Watch the video of Sabalenka and Svitolina's relatively cold exchange at the 2024 Italian Open below:

Aryna Sabalenka began the Monday encounter wearily as it took her 13 points to win her first service game and was broken in the second. She returned on serve by breaking back in the sixth game but Elina Svitolina responded sharply with another break in the seventh and eventually secured the set in 43 minutes.

The World No. 2 revived her rampant self as she raced away with the second set 6-1 in 33 minutes with three breaks of serve.

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Aryna Sabalenka saves three match points against Elina Svitolina

Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka opened the third set on a disappointing note as she lost her first service game. However, she regrouped to win the next four games. Her opponent, though, hung tough and broke back.

Elina Svitolina came close to the victory as the Belarusian served under pressure in the 12th game to stay alive. The Ukrainian earned two match points but Sabalenka saved both to induce a tiebreaker.

The tiebreaker notably saw seven mini-breaks, with four of them going the reigning Australian Open champion's way. She, however, found herself staring at defeat again at 6-7 in the tiebreaker but served it out to earn a match point for herself at 8-7.

Aryna Sabalenka converted that match point and earned a spot in the 2024 Italian Open quarterfinals, where she will play Jelena Ostapenko on Wednesday, May 15.