Andrey Rublev came close to 'amputation' in bizarre prognosis amid recent health scare

Andrey Rublev not only came close to not travelling to the Shanghai Masters this week. But also in a crazy set of circumstances, he came close to having to amputate a limb amid a recent injury scare.

It has been an up and down season for Rublev who amid winning Rome did so batling an abscess on his tonsils and also went under the knife after the US Open in a surgery that was kept secret until this week's China Open.

But while it was expected to rule him out of the Asian Hard Court swing, the sting in the tail came in the form of what could've happened had he not had surgery straight away which was amputation.

One of the wildest tennis stories of the year and one that was reacted to on social media earlier in the week with some bemusement about whether or not he was telling the truth.

“They told me after the surgery that I might be lucky to be in Shanghai," said Rublev to BetBoom Tennis.

“Then I said, ‘Okay, if I might be lucky to be in Shanghai then there’s a chance to be in Beijing.’ So here I am. No one (from my team) expected me to be here.”

“After the US Open I was preparing for China, and a couple of days before the flight I needed an operation, which, if not performed, could have led to amputation.

“I was lucky that it all became clear in the first three or four hours, because after five or six hours, amputation becomes necessary. In the end, everything was done in time, and it ended better than expected.

“Before the operation, the prognosis was not very pleasant: That I would have to lie in bed for a month, that I would not be able to do anything. I am glad that I was able to come back quickly."