"You can't find justice as a woman in Georgia" - Tennis fans react after Nikoloz Basilashvili is cleared of domestic abuse charges by Tbilisi court

Nikoloz Basilashvili, who was charged with abusing his ex-wife, has been cleared by a court in Tbilisi. The Georgian, who breached the ATP top 20 in 2019, was accused of physical abuse by model Neka Dorokashvili, whom he married in 2019.

Basilashvili was arrested in May 2020 following a complaint of domestic violence filed by Dorokashvili after the couple had parted ways in 2018.

Following the ruling, the prosecution decided to appeal the verdict stating that it had presented "clear evidence" that "confirmed" the guilt of the accused.

"The prosecution categorically disagrees with the court's decision. The prosecution had presented a number of clear evidence, which confirmed the issue of the accused's guilt. The prosecution had the feeling that the court did not evaluate the evidence that exposed Nikoloz Basilashvili in the crime. It evaluated the objective evidence subjectively and shared the position of the accused and his family members", the prosecution stated.

Tennis fans have reacted to the verdict with anger, with one Twitter user questioning the verdict and the manner in which it was delivered.

"You can't find justice as a woman in Georgia, and btw a day before this ruling the court staff went doing selfies and autographs with Basilashvili during a break, didn't wait a day to hide their bias. How is it a problem, they asked," the tweet read.

One user called the decision "Corrupt", saying:

"Today we swallowed another corrupt, immoral judge's decision and Georgian clan court's verdict against women victims of violence. Georgian tennis player Nikoloz Basilashvili accused of physical and psychological violence was found not guilty by the Tbilisi City Court. Circus."

Drokashvili, who is also a fashion designer, entrepreneur and investor, testified that her ex-husband had limited her ability to work and had also taken control of her social media accounts.

With regard to the charge of physical abuse, the judge ruled that a bruise that had been confirmed by a medical examination could have been inflicted on account of holding her baby in an awkward position.

There has been fierce opposition to the verdict on social media.

Here are a few more tweets from tennis fans who voiced their views on the recent development:

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Nikoloz Basilashvili, Georgia's No. 1 tennis star

Nikoloz Basilashvili at the 2022 US Open

Nikoloz Basilashvili, who is the top-ranked player in Georgia, also earned the distinction of becoming the highest-ranked Georgian in the post-Soviet era when he climbed to World No. 35 in 2018.

The 30-year-old, who is currently ranked World No. 93, began the 2022 season on a high when he reached the final of the Qatar Open before going down to Roberto Bautista Agut. The Georgian made history by upsetting Roger Federer in the quarterfinals in Qatar last year.

Basilashvili, who was the defending champion in Qatar, failed to make significant headway this season after ending up as the runner-up in Doha. He qualified for the finals of the 2021 Indian Wells Open by getting past Taylor Fritz in the semifinals but failed to get the better of Cameron Norrie in the title round.