Andrey Rublev, world number 5, was disqualified this Friday in the semi-finals of the ATP 500 in Dubai.
The Russian tennis player was competing for access to the final with Kazakh Alexander Bublik (23rd in the hierarchy) and the match was nearing completion, with 5-6 for Bublik in the third and final period.
At the end of the 11th game, with Bublik serving, Rublev protested vehemently to one of the line judges. The referee saw the ball in, Rublev thought it was the ball out, and didn’t spare any criticism, ending up going overboard with his protests.
The Russian tennis player ended up being removed from the tournament, to the astonishment of his opponent, who even said that, for him, the game could continue. But it didn’t continue.
In the stands, the public began to boo the Russian tennis player’s behavior and continued to do so during his departure from the court.