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German tennis legend Boris Becker lauded the ATP's decision to reinstate Andrey Rublev's prize money and ranking points after his controversial disqualification from the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships.
The World No. 5 found himself in hot water during his semi-final encounter with Alexander Bublik. Deep into the third and final set, Bublik took a 6-5 lead with a shot that Rublev thought was out. Angered by the decision, he proceeded to scream into the line judge's face.
The Russian allegedly called the line umpire a "f***ing moron," which lead to the ATP supervisor having to default Rublev from the match.
The default meant a fine of $36,400 and the docking of all points earned by him at the event.
Rublev went on to appeal the decision, which went his way. The ATP governing body upheld his decision and reinstated his prize money and ranking points earned in Dubai after initially stripping it off due to his disqualification.
Journalist James Gray provided the update via his X (formerly Twitter) account, tweeting:
"Andrey Rublev's appeal over his controversial DQ last week has been partially successful. The ATP have reinstated his prize money and ranking points in Dubai, saying Rublev losing them 'would be disproportionate in this case.'"
Reacting to the news, German tennis great Boris Becker applauded the decision. He described Rublev as one of the "nicest guys" on tour and that he will learn from experiences like these.
"Good decision from the committee! Andrey is one of the nicest guys on tour but sometimes his emotions get hold of him on the court… We live and learn," Becker wrote on X.
Indian Wells 2024: Andrey Rublev's projected path to the finals ft. potential QF clash against Jannik Sinner
Andrey Rublev enters the Indian Wells Open as the fifth seed and in the same quarter as defending Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner.
Rublev is slated to kick off his campaign on March 9 in the round of 64 against the winner of the clash between three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray and a lucky loser. Should he win that match, he could meet Czech rising star Jiri Lehecka, who could prove to be a tough test.
One of 11th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and 18th seed Frances Tiafoe is expected to face Rublev in the fourth round, while Sinner is most likely to take him on in the quarterfinals.
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and World No. 6 Alexander Zverev could square off against Rublev in the semi-finals. A blockbuster encounter with World No. 1 and five-time Indian Wells champion, Novak Djokovic, awaits the winner of the bottom half of the draw.
