Daniil Medvedev stars in a dramatic match at the US Open
Daniil Medvedev’s match suffered an interruption of more than six minutes due to a photographer entering the court during the match point. The 2021 US Open champion reacted with visible frustration at the chair umpire’s decision to award a first serve to his opponent. The match at the Louis Armstrong Stadium turned into a real drama. Medvedev, seeded number 13, was one point away from elimination, but managed to win the next two sets to force a fifth and final set. Finally, Benjamin Bonzi eliminated him with a score of 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 0-6, 6-4, in a match that concluded in the early hours of Monday.Bonzi attributed the tension of the match to Medvedev’s behavior, suggesting that the Russian tennis player had crossed certain limits. “The rule is clear. The photographer entered the court between two serves,” Bonzi stated. “It is not up to me to decide if the first serve is repeated. I think Daniil was the one who lit the fuse.” The incident occurred when Bonzi was about to serve his first serve, with a score of 5-4 in the third set. After missing the serve, a photographer left his position and began walking along the side of the court. The chair umpire, Greg Allensworth, ordered the photographer to leave the court and announced that Bonzi would be entitled to a new first serve due to the interruption, a common practice in tennis. Medvedev strongly protested the decision. “He wants to go home, guys! He doesn’t like being here. He gets paid for the match, not by the hour,” Medvedev shouted to the microphones located behind the judge’s chair. After the match, Medvedev argued that the photographer’s interference was not long enough to justify replaying the point. “I wasn’t angry with the photographer, but with the decision,” he explained. “The photographer’s interruption lasted about four and a half seconds. I don’t think that’s enough for a first serve.”This match was crazy. For me, it’s the best victory of my career.
Benjamin Bonzi
Medvedev also questioned the opinion of Reilly Opelka, who had previously been sanctioned by the ATP Tour for his criticism of Allensworth. Medvedev preferred not to go into details about this exchange in the press conference, aware of the possible economic consequences. “They’re going to give me a very big fine, so if I talk, I’ll have problems,” he stated. “Everyone knows what I was referring to when I mentioned Reilly. Reilly was given a big fine for this, so I’ll also receive a big fine.”
Medvedev blew kisses to the fans and encouraged the boos, which lasted so long that he then tried to get the fans to calm down so Bonzi could serve. When Bonzi finally did, he missed the first serve and lost the point, allowing Medvedev to win the game and subsequently the set, thus prolonging the match. Bonzi, who was sometimes cheered by the fans, seemed about to serve at one point before some began to boo. He explained that he didn’t want to hit because it’s difficult to play tennis without being able to hear the sound of the ball. The situation recalled Medvedev’s match in 2019 on the same court, when the fans booed him for his actions, and he then mocked the crowd in his post-match interview, saying that the boos gave him energy. Medvedev had snatched the towel from a ball boy and received a warning from the chair umpire Damien Dumusois. Then, Medvedev threw his racket in the direction of Dumusois, shouted something at him, and then showed his middle finger next to his forehead as he passed by the umpire’s chair, actions that earned him a $9,000 fine. Medvedev reached the final that year and then won the title two years later. But this year he only had a 1-4 record in Grand Slam tournaments and was also defeated by Bonzi in the first round at Wimbledon. After Sunday’s match, Medvedev remained seated in his chair for a few minutes and repeatedly smashed his racket before leaving. A spokesperson for the United States Tennis Association reported that the photographer was escorted off the court by US Open security and had their accreditation revoked.
