Georgian tennis star Basilashvili charged with assaulting ex-wife

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Tbilisi, May 24: Georgian tennis star Nikoloz Basilashvili, ranked 27th in the world, was charged on Sunday with physically assaulting his ex-wife, prosecutors said.

A court in the Georgian capital Tbilisi charged Basilashvili with perpetrating "violence against a family member committed in the presence of a minor" before releasing him on bail amounting to $30,000 (27,500 euros), prosecutor Natia Guruli said.

He faces up to three years behind bars if found guilty. Basilashvili's ex-wife Neka Dorokashvili told the Mtavari TV station on Sunday that he "physically assaulted" her Friday in the presence of their five-year-old son.

Basilashvili denied the charges, his lawyer Irma Chkadua told journalists.

The 28-year-old won his second ATP title at the China Open in 2018 by defeating world number four Juan Martin del Potro in the final, three months after winning the German Open in Hamburg.

He went on to defend the Hamburg title last year. In May 2019, Basilashvili reached a career high of 16 in the world.