TBILISI: Georgian tennis player Nikoloz Basilashvili has been charged with assaulting his former wife, his lawyer Irma Chkadua said Tuesday. Basilashvili, ranked 27th in the world, has denied allegations that he attacked Neka Dorokashvili in front of their five-year-old son and he has been released on 100,000 lari ($26,000) bail. The preliminary court hearing is scheduled for July 16. Basilashvili, 28, faces up to three years in prison, if found guilty. In Georgia the charge of domestic violence in the presence of a minor carries a punishment of one to three years in prison or 200-400 hours of community service. Basilashvili’s lawyer, Irma Tchkadua, has denied the charge. Basilashvili is the most successful tennis player in Georgia’s history as an independent nation, having won three ATP 500 titles and acquired career prize money earnings of $5,479,761. He reached a career high of 16 in May 2019. Basilashvili married Dorokashvili in 2013 and in 2015 their only son, Lucas, was born.
