(Reuters) – Andrey Rublev’s ranking points and prize money from the Dubai Tennis Championships will not be taken away despite his default from the tournament for unsportsmanlike conduct, following an appeal to the ATP.
The Russian player was disqualified by the chair umpire after a Russian-speaking official accused him of using an obscenity while he was yelling at the line judge during his semi-final match against Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan on Friday.
“The appeals committee determined that, in this case, beyond forfeiting the match, the usual penalties such as loss of rankings points and prize money for the entire tournament would be too severe,” the ATP said in a statement released on Monday.
At the time of the default, Bublik was leading 6-7(4) 7-6(5) 6-5, and was declared the winner even though he expressed willingness to continue the match. Bublik later lost in the final to Ugo Humbert of France.
Despite the appeal, Rublev’s fine of $36,400 for the code violation stands. The decision was based on testimonies from players and officials as well as a review of video and audio evidence.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
