Andrey Rublev argues with chair umpire and supervisor over misunderstanding at UTS London, gets in umpire's face to ensure his call isn't missed again
Andrey Rublev unleashed a fiery outburst during his clash with Holger Rune at the 2023 Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) Grand Final in London.
Andrey "Rublo" Rublev took on Holger "The Viking" Rune for a place in the final of the event. The exhibition event features a unique format where players attempt to score as many points as possible during four eight-minute-long quarters. The Dane dominated the opening quarter, claiming a 20-10 victory.
However, the Russian raised his level in the second quarter, with tensions flaring when the scores were tied at 11-11. Given the closely contested scoreline, Rublev attempted to use his "next point counts three" card, but the chair umpire seemingly missed his signal. Rune subsequently won the final point before the quarter's conclusion, consolidating his lead with a 12-11 victory.
Andrey Rublev was incensed over the chair umpire missing his signal. This led to a tense confrontation with the supervisor, where the Russian demanded a replay of the point and even threatened to quit the event entirely. The World No. 5 then engaged in a heated exchange with the chair umpire as well, but was unable to get his way.
When the Russian wanted to use his "next point counts three" card in the third quarter, he employed a different approach. To ensure that his signal wasn't missed again, he approached the chair umpire and signaled directly in his face instead.
Holger Rune ultimately claimed a 20-10, 12-11, 16-11 victory over Andrey Rublev, advancing to the final against Jack Draper. It was the Brit who emerged victorious in the closely contested title clash, winning 12-14, 15-12, 13-10, 19-7 to triumph at the event.
A brief look at Andrey Rublev and Holger Rune's head-to-head record
Andrey Rublev and Holger Rune have locked horns in three tour-level encounters, with the Russian claiming victory in two of them. Their first clash took place at the 2022 Paris Masters, where Rune secured a straight-sets victory en route to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title.
Rublev emerged victorious in their second encounter at the 2023 Australian Open, narrowly edging out the Dane in a closely contested five-set clash. Subsequently, the Russian claimed the lead in their head-to-head record by defeating Rune in the Monte-Carlo Masters final.
In other news, Andrey Rublev will commence his 2024 season at the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open. The ATP 250 event is scheduled for January 1-7. The Russian will be joined by Karen Khachanov, Frances Tiafoe, Marin Cilic, and Mackenzie McDonald, among others.
Holger Rune, meanwhile, will be in action at the ATP 250 Brisbane International, commencing on December 31. He will feature in a star-studded lineup alongside Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Ben Shelton.