Rublev defaulted at Dubai Open after being accused of swearing at line judge
The world No 5 Andrey Rublev was sensationally defaulted after being accused of swearing at a line judge in the deciding set of his semi-final at the Dubai Open.
The combustible Russian was trailing 6-5 in the third against Alexander Bublik when he took out his frustration on a line judge.
The ATP supervisor Roland Herfel came down to the court accompanied by a Russian speaker, who claimed Rublev had sworn in his native language. Rublev protested, insisting he was speaking in English, while Bublik also backed his opponent.
“I didn’t say ‘fucker’. I swear to God. This is huge. I swear to God,” said Rublev.
The offence would usually merit a warning in the first instance, but the 26-year-old was defaulted by umpire Miriam Bley amid jeers from the crowd in Dubai. It was a controversial end to a tight match, with Kazakhstan’s Bublik progressing to the final 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-5.
Meanwhile Jack Draper had earlier cruised into the semi-finals of the Mexican Open in Acapulco as he beat Miomir Kecmanovic 6-2, 6-2. The British No 3 is ranked three places higher than his opponent at world No 50, but the gulf between them on court proved much greater.
Draper broke Kecmanovic in the third game of the opening set and repeated the feat for a 4-1 lead, serving out to take the opening set in 31 minutes.
The start of the second set proved a tighter tussle, the first four games going with serve as Draper survived a break point to level at 2-2. Draper took control from that moment, capitalising on his fourth break point to win the fifth game and adding a double break to move 5-2 ahead. He served out to love in the final game, booking his place in the last four in 80 minutes.
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Draper beat both Kecmanovic and American Tommy Paul, who he defeated in his opening match in Acapulco, en route to the final in Adelaide in January. He will play the defending champion Alex de Minaur, of Australia, in the semi-final. The world No 9 came from a set down to beat Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas for the first time in 11 meetings, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.