Anna Tatishvili has won an appeal of one of the harshest penalties in tennis. After a 6-1, 6-0 loss to Maria Sakkari in the first round of the French Open in May, Tatishvili was fined all of her first-round prize money, 46,000 euros, or about $51,500, for failing to “perform to the required professional standard.”Soon after, Tatishvili, 29, filed a 40-page appeal to the Grand Slam board. After reviewing those documents and video of the match, Bill Babcock, the board director, told Tatishvili on Thursday that her prize money would be returned. She had been out with persistent ankle injuries for 19 months ahead of the French Open, and in a letter explaining his decision, Babcock wrote that “there is no evidence that your movement was restricted or that you were not using your best efforts.”“Despite the score line,” the letter continued, “it is clear that you — even confirmed by your in-form opponent — were competing professionally from the first to the very last point, however unsuccessful in the end.”

Source: New York Times July 20, 2019 00:30 UTC