Andrey Rublev, the famously hot-headed Russian, smashed his racket seven times over his knee in a meltdown en route to his humbling at the hands of Francisco Comesaa at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
The Wimbledon sixth seed’s tantrum after a wayward shot sparked audible gaps and came two months after he also lost his cool at the French Open.
Some viewers expressed concern over Rublev’s welfare after he crashed his racquet against his leg six times in frenzied fashion before adding a seventh for good measure.
It had been a tight match between the sixth seed and outsider Comesana on Court Two, but the Argentinian eventually won 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 7-6.
Rublev’s meltdown took place in the fourth game of the third set, with the two players having won a set each. Comesana broke Rublev for the second time in the set to go 4-1 up, leading to a furious reaction from the Russian after he hit a wild groundstroke.
In May, Rublev had been involved in a heated argument with umpire Lazemar Engzell, having smashed his racket to the ground and screamed towards his players’ box. Rublev was apologetic for his behaviour at the time, saying, “I don’t remember behaving worse at a slam ever”.
Andrey Rublev’s first round Wimbledon match against Francisco Comesana did not go to plan for the Russian.Credit: Getty Images
For Comesana, it was a major scalp in his first match at a grand slam, and his second match of any kind on grass.
The 23-year-old rookie belied his lack of experience, playing with poise and control from the start. He broke his opponent for a 3-2 lead in the first set and then held to win it, much to the frustration of Rublev, who frequently screamed out loud and remonstrated with his courtside coaching team.