Andrey Rublev charges at the camera box accusing them of distraction during Shanghai finals against Hubert Hurkacz, punished for unsportsmanlike conduct on championship point

Andrey Rublev received a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct after giving his opponent a championship point in the Shanghai final. 

Andrey Rublev charges at the camera box accusing them of distraction during Shanghai finals against Hubert Hurkacz, punished for unsportsmanlike conduct on championship point

Andrey Rublev screaming at the camera box (L), Andrey Rublev at the trophy presentation ceremony (R) (Credit : Prime Video)

Polish No. 1 Hubert Hurkacz scraped past 5th seed Andrey Rublev after a nail-biting end to the final of the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Sunday. Hurkacz, the 16th seed, defeated the Russian 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (8) in two hours and nine minutes to win his second Masters title after Miami 2021. With this win, Hurkacz edged past Rublev head-to-head, leading 3-2.

Hurkacz missed out on three match-point opportunities before finally clinching the match and the title. The Pole had a championship point at 5-4 in the third set on Rublev’s serve.

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With the game finely poised at 40-40, Rublev was distracted by someone who started walking courtside in the camera box and blew the rally, gifting Hurkacz a championship point to lift the trophy. The Russian couldn’t hold his anger as he stormed towards the photographer’s box with his arms spread, screaming, “Why?”.

The chair umpire ruled the 25-year-old’s fit of rage as unsportsmanlike, handing him a warning. The umpire agreed with Rublev’s reservations regarding the movement during the point but felt that the reaction was uncalled for and a bit too aggressive. The 5th seed went on to save the championship point and got one of his own in the tie-break at 6-5.

Rublev missed out on winning his second Masters title, following his win in Monte-Carlo earlier this year. Moreover, this was Rublev’s 23rd Tour-level final appearance. The Russian’s disappointment at missing out on a significant win was evident as he violently smashed the racquet on his leg after crashing his forehand into the net, handing Hurkacz the title.

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Andrey Rublev focusing on positives after a heartbreaking loss in the final of Shanghai Masters

Rublev looked for silver linings as he tried to console himself after missing out on a chance to win his second Masters title. The Russian pro did not drop a set en route to the final. “There are positive things I can take, mainly the level at which I’ve been playing throughout the tournament and that I have added a new Masters 1000 final. These things do not always happen. It’s clear that there are positive things,” he told the press in Shanghai.

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Andrey Rublev at the trophy presentation ceremony (credit : Prime Video)

“I feel that in recent months I’ve been doing all the right things, that I am playing well, & that it is a matter of time before I can show this level in tournaments. Shanghai is the first tournament in which I’ve achieved this, so I hope to continue improving &continue showing this level for the rest of the year,” he further remarked.

Rublev has climbed to the 5th ranking in the ATP leaderboard and will look forward to winning the elusive 2nd Masters title at the upcoming Paris Bercy Masters, starting on October 28th. The 25-year-old is next in line to qualify for the ATP Finals to be played in Turin, Italy. 

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