Andrey Rublev sadly has another complete meltdown and is defaulted in Dubai

Andrey Rublev, typically regarded as one of the kindest players on tour, was defaulted in the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships. Alexander Bublik won the match 6-7, 7-6, 6-5 (def.) Rublev lost his serve at 5-5 in the third set and immediately berated a line judge for not calling a ball out during the previous point.

After sitting down at the changeover, Rublev was spoken to by two officials and was notified that he was going to be defaulted. The chair umpire then announced the default.

Rublev and the officials disagreed over the contents of Rublev's outburst and even the language of the outburst. Both Rublev and Bublik were in disbelief about the default and Rublev left the court amidst jeers from the crowd.

Was Andrey Rublev's default the correct decision?

Typically, a default is the fourth step in the disciplinary process during a match. A player is often given a warning for their conduct. The warning is then followed by a point penalty, a game penalty, and then a default. However, the chair umpire and supervisor have the discretion to default a player without them receiving prior points or game penalties if the conduct is severe enough.

It is unclear as to what Rublev is alleged to have said to the line judge. There was some discussion he had spoken in his native Russian and said some derogatory names. This controversial decision, though, will undoubtedly raise questions about the consistency amongst umpire decisions regarding discipline, time between points, and other debated issues.

Bublik also had an issue with the chair umpire earlier in the match as there seemed to be some confusion over when new balls were going to be used. He had a several-minute debate about what had previously been stated. What is not up for debate is that Alexander Bublik is through to another final and will rise into the top 20 of the ATP rankings next week.

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