Daniil Medvedev’s U.S. Open match vs. Benjamin Bonzi delayed after crowd refuses to be quiet

NEW YORK — There was bedlam on the U.S. Open Sunday night time, when Daniil Medvedev’s 6-3, 7-5, 6-7(5), 0-6, 6-4 defeat to Benjamin Bonzi was delayed for six minutes after a photographer prematurely entered the court docket.

France’s Bonzi was up match level in opposition to former world No. 1 and U.S. Open champion Medvedev on Louis Armstrong Stadium, main 6-3, 7-5, 5-4, when he missed a primary serve. At this level, a photographer walked onto the court docket considering the match was about to complete. Because of the delay brought on by him coming onto the court docket, umpire Greg Allensworth dominated that Bonzi ought to have a primary serve again, fairly than having to hit a second serve.

The USTA later instructed The Athletic that the photographer had had his credential for the event revoked after being escorted from the court docket by safety.

Medvedev, at all times a risky participant who is aware of easy methods to work a crowd, berated Allensworth and demanded the gang to make some noise and present their displeasure.

After claiming that Allensworth “wanted to leave” as a result of he will get “paid by the match, not by the hour,” he shouted towards the digital camera: “Reilly Opelka was right!” and “What did Reilly Opelka say?”

This was in obvious reference to the American participant saying in February that: “The guy (Allensworth) shouldn’t have a job or should be sidelined for about four weeks, maybe learn a thing or two,” after he penalized Opelka for swearing at a spectator on the Dallas Open.

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With the noise deafening, Bonzi waited earlier than serving. Amid chants of “second serve,” Allensworth tried and didn’t quieten the gang, with Bonzi asking why Medvedev didn’t obtain a time violation for inciting the commotion.

Medvedev, relishing taking part in the villain, even blew kisses in Allensworth’s path.

“They did the work. I didn’t do anything,” Medvedev stated in his information convention. “The crowd did what they did without me asking them too much, and it was fun to witness.”

“Daniil started it. He put oil on the fire,” Bonzi stated in his information convention.

Eventually, after a six-minute delay, Bonzi did serve, lacking it, earlier than sending a backhand into the online after a nervy second serve. Medvedev received the subsequent two factors and broke to rescue the match, sending the gang right into a frenzy. He then claimed the set in a tiebreak, resurrected after essentially the most unlikely of delays.

Medvedev made a coronary heart signal to the gang after pinching the set, and it regarded as if Bonzi wouldn’t get better from the crushing disappointment of shedding his lead in such unusual circumstances. He known as on the coach halfway by the fourth set and ended up shedding it 6-0, earlier than being damaged instantly in the beginning of the fifth.

Bonzi broke again instantly and had to take action once more after shedding his serve at 2-2, earlier than warding off 5 break factors to carry for 4-3. There was nonetheless loads of drama to come back, when Medvedev, serving down 5-4, began to endure badly from hand cramps. He was struggling to serve and needed to vigorously shake his hand out between factors. This prompted his followers within the crowd to do the identical, in homage to a person who for a few years has been the good antihero of the U.S. Open. At deuce, Medvedev was lastly given a time violation, after which despatched a backhand lengthy to fall down match level about an hour and a half after Bonzi had first earned one.

There was to be no reprieve this time, as a sprawling Medvedev couldn’t management a Bonzi backhand passing shot. After practically 4 hours of barely plausible drama, the Frenchman was by.

A livid Medvedev sat on his chair after shaking his opponent’s hand and completely obliterated a racket. It was his third straight first-round exit at a Grand Slam, and means he’ll finish the 12 months with only one match win on the majors. His rating will fall farther from No. 13 because the quarterfinal factors he received final 12 months drop off. Medvedev was so livid that he didn’t exit the stage till halfway by Bonzi’s on-court interview.

Meanwhile a disbelieving Bonzi stated that he had “no idea” how he had received the match.

“It was crazy. I maybe got some new fans but also some non-fans,. It was wild. A crazy scenario.”

He added that he had “never experienced something like that. It was so difficult to play. So noisy, during points, between the points. I tried to stay calm, and at the end I gave all I had.”

Bonzi will subsequent tackle America’s Marcos Giron within the second spherical on Wednesday.

As for Medvedev, it’s powerful to know the place he goes from right here. In a 12 months of chastening defeats, this was one other one so as to add to the gathering. His title win right here in 2021, and two ultimate defeats in 2019 and 2023, all really feel like an awfully very long time in the past.

“I’m playing bad and in important moments, even worse. Everything. Everything. Serve, return, volley, whatever. Just need to play better, and I’m going to try to do it next year,” he stated.

(Photo: Elsa / Getty Images)