11:35 AM ET

  • Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev wrote “No War Please” on a TV camera moments after advancing to the final at the Dubai Championships on Friday.

The seventh-ranked Rublev had just beaten Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5) in their semifinal match before writing his message on the camera — as is common after matches.

Russian troops bore down on Ukraine’s capital Friday in an invasion of a democratic country that has fueled fears of wider war in Europe and triggered worldwide efforts to make Russia stop.

Rublev wasn’t asked about the message during his on-court interview immediately following the match.