Daniil Medvedev’s match was delayed greater than six minutes between factors Sunday night time, after a photographer entered the courtroom on match level and the 2021 U.S. Open champion turned enraged by the chair umpire’s resolution to award his opponent a primary serve.
The most recent Medvedev meltdown on Louis Armstrong Stadium led to a wild change within the match. The No. 13 seed was some extent away from being eradicated, then received the subsequent two units to drive a deciding fifth earlier than Benjamin Bonzi eradicated him from a second straight main with a 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 0-6, 6-4 victory that ended early Monday.
“I tried to stay calm in the match but it was not easy,” Bonzi stated.
Bonzi had simply hit his first serve main 5-4 within the third set. After he missed it, a photographer left his place earlier than the Frenchman may hit his second.
Chair umpire Greg Allensworth advised the photographer to get off the courtroom, then introduced that Bonzi would get one other first serve due to the delay — which is widespread in tennis. Medvedev then approached the chair to complain in regards to the resolution.
“He wants to go home, guys. He doesn’t like to be here. He gets paid by the match, not by the hour,” Medvedev shouted into the microphones behind the chair.
Medvedev stated after the match that he didn’t imagine the interference from the photographer was lengthy sufficient to warrant restarting the purpose.
“I was not upset with the photographer. I was upset with the decision,” Medvedev stated. “The delay from the photographer was probably four seconds and a half. I’m not sure it’s enough for a (first) serve.”
Medvedev additionally shouted “What did Reilly Opelka say? What did Reilly Opelka say?” as he backed away from Allensworth’s chair. Opelka was penalized by the ATP Tour in February after calling Allensworth the “worst ump on tour. ”
Medvedev would not elaborate on that a part of the alternate throughout his press convention.
“I’m getting big fine enough, so if I speak I’m in big trouble, so I’m not going to speak,” he stated. “Everyone knows what I talked about when I said Reilly. Reilly got fined big-time for this, so I’m going to get a big fine, too.”
Medvedev stored encouraging the loud boos on Armstrong, which ultimately lasted so lengthy that he then tried to get followers to settle down so Bonzi may serve. When Bonzi lastly did, he missed the primary serve after which misplaced the purpose, and Medvedev received the sport and later the set in a tiebreaker to lengthen the match.
“I never experienced something like that,” stated Bonzi, who had followers chanting his title at instances.
It was paying homage to Medvedev’s 2019 match on the identical courtroom, when followers booed him for his antics and he later taunted the group in his post-match interview, saying the jeers gave him vitality. Medvedev had snatched the towel from a ballperson throughout the match and was given a code violation by umpire Damien Dumusois. Medvedev then threw his racket within the course of Dumusois, barked one thing at him and later flashed his center finger subsequent to his brow as he walked previous the umpire’s chair, actions that led to him being fined $9,000 for that match.
Medvedev reached the ultimate that yr, then received the title two years later. However he went simply 1-4 in Grand Slam tournaments this yr and was additionally upset by Bonzi within the first spherical at Wimbledon.
Medvedev sat in his chair for a couple of minutes after the match and repeatedly smashed his racket earlier than ultimately departing.
A U.S. Tennis Affiliation spokesman stated the photographer was escorted from the courtroom by U.S. Open safety and his credential was revoked.
