Russia’s tennis star Daria Kasatkina has come to a defence
of her fellow countryman Andrey Rublev after he was disqualified from the Dubai
Duty-Free Championship.
The 26-year-old was disqualified by the chair umpire in the
semifinal of the competition for allegedly insulting a young line judge in the third
and final set of the clash against Alexander Bublik.
The development did not go down well with Kasatkina who came
out to defence of Rublev in a feisty post on the social media platform X — previously
known as Twitter.
"So you can just disqualify a player, take away all his
points and money, without even checking the video? What a joke, yet another
confirmation that we need VAR in tennis and an electronic appeal system in all
tournaments," she wrote.
This is not the first time when Rublev’s temperament has
come into question. The result will be a major setback for the current world
number five who has now played in three quarterfinals and one semifinal in 2024
but has not managed to book his place in the all-important finale.
Before the
competition in Dubai, Rublev lost in the quarterfinal of the Australian Open to
Italy’s Jannik Sinner. He also lost in the last eight of the ATP competition in
Rotterdam to Alex de Minaur. In the Qatar Open, his journey once again
ended in the quarters as he lost to the Czech Republic’s Jakub Mensik.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
So you can just default a player, take his points and money away, without even checking a video replay??? What a joke, another confirmation we need a VAR in tennis and electronic line calling on all tournaments