They Said What? Stakhovsky Stakes a Claim

“In the light of #belgium federation behavior. It is extremely dangerous to play #mons so I requested to ATP to withdraw me from this event.”—Sergiy Stakhovsky’s tweet announcing his retaliatory withdrawal from the Challenger tournament in Mons, Belgium.

Some might say that Stakhovsky’s decision is perilously close to biting off his nose to spite his face. Stakhovsky, who’s from Ukraine and ranked No. 70, withdrew from the Mons Challenger to express his displeasure at the Belgian Tennis Federation’s successful effort to have the recent World Group Playoff tie between Belgium and Ukraine moved from Kiev to a neutral site—Tallinn, Estonia.

The Belgians made the appeal based on “security concerns” having to do with the ongoing conflict between those who self-identify as Ukrainians and Russian separatists. But as Stakhovsky made clear at the U.S. Open, the conflict in the Ukraine was limited to the eastern portion of the nation, far from Kiev. He felt the Belgians were overstating the security concerns, thereby neutralizing the critical home-court advantage the Ukrainians enjoyed in what looked, on paper, like a very close tie.

Ultimately, Stakhovsky won the first rubber, but then Belgium reeled off three straight victories, including two by David Goffin, to take the tie. It was played in a bleak atmosphere, for the benefit of a mere handful of spectators. Why would Estonians care about any of it?

I respect and admire Stakhovsky for his protest. While there was plenty of precedent for moving a tie because of “security concerns,” it’s far-fetched to suggest that this tie was subject to them. More important, by capitulating to the Belgians, the ITF inadvertently played into the hands of the forces that would like to see Ukraine torn asunder.

It had to be dispiriting for Ukrainian tennis fans to have the tie yanked away; it denied them the chance to urge their squad on to what would have been a noteworthy win, and it destroyed their opportunity to celebrate the recent successes of their homeland on the world tennis stage. There’s this, too: It’s always a coup for insurgents when they can successfully disrupt and force changes in the routine of society. You don’t have to hold an opinion on the conflict in the Ukraine to see that.

Stakhovsky is one of the brightest guys in tennis. He’s been an independent thinking and free-speaking member of the ATP Player Council since June 2012. Who else on the ATP tour reads classic Russian novels and speaks five languages, including Russian and English? Both of Stakhovsky’s parents are academics, and his favorite players growing up were Pat Rafter and Pete Sampras. This is not just a guy with great global perspective, but one who has the guts to say what he’s thinking, and to stand by his convictions.

Okay, Stakhovsky certainly needs Mons (and every other tournament) more than the event needs him. It’s unlikely that the Belgian Tennis Federation went into crisis mode because it was rebuked and now snubbed by the world No. 70. Nobody ever accused Stakhovsky of having the star power of Rafael Nadal, nor even that of his fellow countryman Alexandr Dolgopolov. That may help explain why the Belgians responded to Stakhovsky’s admonition by gleefully letting the world know, also via Twitter, that because of Stakhovsky’s decision, a place in the draw opened up for . . . Steve Darcis:

So the Belgians get the last laugh. But it’s nothing compared to being in the right, which is where Stakhovsky has landed.