Just a day after being lauded for his sportsmanship, Andrey Rublev faced a code violation for an outburst at a cameraman during the Shanghai Masters final. In the Shanghai Masters final, Andrey Rublev found himself at a crucial juncture of the match. He was serving to stay in the game, with the score at 4-5 in the final set. His opponent, Hubert Hurkacz, was just two points away from victory
However, trouble arose when a distraction occurred court-side as someone started walking by the photographers’ box during the point. This disturbance led to Rublev losing focus and subsequently gifting Hurkacz a championship point. Frustrated and furious, Rublev approached the photographer’s box, arms outstretched, and demanded to know the reason. He shouted “Why” multiple times at the top of his voice in a fit of rage.
Rublev gets angry and shouts at the photographer who was walking during the deuce point at 5-4 for Hurkacz, gets an unsportsmanlike conduct warning
byu/jovanmilic97 intennis
As he attempted to fend off Hurkacz’s championship point, the umpire announced a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct against Rublev. The world No. 7 then argued with the chair, expressing his discontent. Despite the umpire acknowledging the interruption, he emphasized that Rublev’s aggressive attitude towards the photographers’ box led to the code violation.
Rublev, still frustrated by the timing of the interruption, exclaimed, “Deuce 5-4 in the third set, he’s walking? I could lose the match because of him.” However, despite all the distractions, losing his temper, and receiving a warning from the chair umpire, Rublev managed to win that game, forcing a deciding set tie-break. Unfortunately, he lost the tie-break, conceding the match to Hurkacz.
A day earlier, during the first-set tiebreak in his match against Grigor Dimitrov, a disputed serve by Rublev led to an argument between Dimitrov and the umpire. Despite the umpire’s decision to grant the point to Rublev, Rublev exhibited sportsmanship by asserting that the serve was a let, advocating for the point to be replayed.
An unmatched tour record of Andrey Rublev
Andrey Rublev’s journey through the Shanghai Masters took an impressive turn when he battled past Grigor Dimitrov in the semifinals, securing a hard-fought victory with a score of 7-6 (7), 6-3. This win placed him just one victory away from claiming his second Masters 1000 title, following his earlier triumph on the clay courts of Monte Carlo.
While his triumph over Dimitrov was already a significant milestone, it carried even more weight as it marked Rublev’s 50th win of the year. Among men’s players on the tour, he stands proudly as one of the select few to reach this impressive milestone, sharing this distinction with just four others. What makes Rublev’s achievement even more remarkable is his three-year streak of amassing 50 or more wins annually.
DID YOU KNOW❓
By recording his 50th win of the year against Dimitrov in Shanghai today, @AndreyRublev97 has become the ONLY tennis player, male OR female, to win 50 or more matches in each of the last 3 years. 👏🔥
Rublev had 53 wins in 2021, 51 in 2022 and 50 so far in 2023:
— TENNIS (@Tennis) October 14, 2023
In 2021, he secured 53 victories, and in 2022, he notched up 51 more. However, what truly sets him apart is that he is the only player to date, irrespective of gender, to accomplish this feat for three consecutive years. This underlines his dedication to the game and his unmatched consistency. Rublev’s victory over Dimitrov holds yet another significant milestone as it marked his 200th win on hard courts.