Andrey Rublev will receive ranking points and prize money from the Dubai Tennis Championships despite being disqualified from the event for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The Russian world No.5 has won an appeal against the sanction he received last week at the ATP 500 event. Rublev screamed in the face of a lines judge during the third set of his semi-final match against Alexander Bublik. A Russian-speaking official told supervisor Roland Herfel that the tennis star had sworn in his native language, which he denied doing. As a consequence, he was defaulted from the match which usually carries an automatic penalty of that player losing all their points and prize money earned at the tournament.
However, the ATP appeals committee has concluded that those penalties are ‘disproportionate ‘ in this case. Regulating in Rublev winning back more than $150,000 and 200 ranking points. However, a fine of nearly $30,000 has been upheld.
“The ATP has reviewed an appeal from Andrey Rublev, following the player’s default from the semi-finals of the ATP 500 tournament in Dubai,” the I Newspaper quoted an ATP official as saying.
“The appeal process took into consideration testimonies from the player, officials, as well as a review of all available video and audio materials.
“The appeals committee concluded that, beyond forfeiting the match, customary penalties associated with a default – namely loss of rankings points and prize money for the entire tournament – would be disproportionate in this case.
“As such, Rublev retains semi-final points and prize money for the tournament.”
The initial penalty issues against Rublev caused criticism from some players with Daria Kasatkina saying it was a ‘joke’ that no video replay system was in place. The ATP plans to implement electronic line-calling at all of its events by next year. Meanwhile, Bublik said shortly after the incident that he had doubts that Rublev ‘said something crazy.’
Rublev will return to action in Indian Wells later this week where he will be seeded sixth in the draw.
