Marin Cilic was left to applaud some astonishing sportsmanship from Andrey Rublev during the crucial fifth set of their French Open quarter-final.
At 1-1 in the deciding fifth set of their last-eight clash on Court Philippe-Chatrier, it could hardly have been a less convenient time for an act of surprise sportsmanship, but Rublev decided to help his opponent out regardless.
Cilic, who was serving at the time, clipped a drop shot right under the umpire, Alison Hughes’, chair with the immediate call being ‘out’ to hand Rublev the point. The decision did not go down at all well with an infuriated Cilic.
The Croat protested at the net as Hughes had to come down and inspect the mark, eventually deciding that it was indeed the correct call so declining the option of overruling in Cilic’s favour.
“No! No! No! No! Please!” protested Cilic.
“Please! No! No! No! The ball is touching the line. The ball is touching the line! Please!”
That was when Rublev intervened, holding up his racquet and conceding the point.
“It’s out,” Hughes confirmed once again. “Not for me.”
John McEnroe, on commentary for Eurosport at the time, was left baffled by the gesture from Rublev – particularly as Hawkeye showed that the ball was actually wide all along and the call was correct.
“It is interesting because Rublev circled a mark that looked to be out, but then he turned around and gave it to Cilic,” McEnroe mused.
“I don’t even know how to respond to that, but nicely done!
“He originally circled a mark that presumably showed that it was out! But anyway.”
it was a remarkable piece of sportsmanship, made all the more surprising given that Rublev should have won the point all along. The crowd certainly appreciated it by giving him a warm ovation for the act.
