Andrey Rublev has once again been in the news, launching into not one but two furious rants aimed at the chair umpire yesterday.
However, it could be argued that they were certainly justified at the time, despite them having little bearing on the end result against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
His win was relatively routine, albeit dragged out, despite these two moments of controversy.
Andrey Rublev fumes at Madrid Open chair umpire
The first point of contention came in the first set, and whilst his protestations were not with the call but the fact that his opponent had challenged before the point was over, in his mind he had justifiably stopped to hear the result.
The umpire had other ideas though, and awarded the point to the Spaniard because of Rublev’s poor return.
‘I swear, I know that, I bring the ball out I’m not saying nothing. But he called it before I shot, that’s why I was not running full. It’s the same thing like what happened with Rafa yesterday.’
His argument fell on deaf ears.
Then, having won the first set and with the scores at 4-4 in the second, a cross-court backhand was called out but overruled by the umpire. Rublev, thinking he had therefore won the point, walked back to his baseline.
‘I will replay, Andrey,’ came the call from the umpire. Well, that did not go down well, with the 26-year-old slumped over the net in bemusement.
Even the commentator expressed her sympathy with Rublev, who saw two key calls both go against him. And this is not the first clay-court controversy we have experienced this season, nor will it be the last.
Another Andrey Rublev explosion
Having been disqualified from March’s Dubai Open semi-finals for yelling at a line judge, you’d have thought that Rublev might have pulled back with the on-court theatrics.
However, to explode in such a manner twice in one game, however controversial the calls may be, suggests that he has not learned from that fateful decision.
And whilst the decision was later repented somewhat, with the Russian still handed his prize money and ranking points for reaching that stage in the Middle East, it should not be an absolution of his behaviour.
So often throughout an impressive career has Rublev been involved in fiery exchanges with various officials.
He is supremely talented and boasts one of the most ferocious forehands on the tour, yet he is seemingly always one bad call away from complete head loss.
Fortunately, yesterday he still managed to get the win, but with a tricky match against an in-form Tallon Griekspoor just around the corner, he cannot afford to allow that to happen again.
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