Medvedev match delayed by boos after photographer enters the courtroom

NEW YORK (AP) — 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 became enraged by the chair umpire’s decision to award his opponent a primary serve.

The newest 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 power 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.

“It’s kind of crazy, this match,” Bonzi mentioned. “For me, it’s like my best victory ever.”

And he blamed Medvedev for making it a tense one, saying he believed the Russian’s conduct crossed a line.

“I mean, the rule is the rule. The guy went on the court between two serves,” Bonzi mentioned. “I mean, it’s not my call to say first serve. And I think, yes, Daniil started it, and he put oil on the fire.”

Bonzi had simply hit his first serve main 5-4 within the third set. After he missed it, a photographer left his place and commenced strolling alongside the facet of the courtroom.

Chair umpire Greg Allensworth informed the photographer to get off the courtroom, then introduced that Bonzi would get one other first serve due to the delay — which is frequent in tennis. Medvedev then approached the chair to complain in regards to the choice.

“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 mentioned 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 mentioned. “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 wouldn’t elaborate on that a part of the change 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 mentioned. “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 blew kisses to followers and saved encouraging the loud boos, which lasted so lengthy that he then tried to get followers to calm 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 to extend the match.

Bonzi, who had followers chanting his title at occasions, appeared able to serve at one level earlier than some began whistling. He defined that he didn’t need to hit as a result of it’s troublesome to play tennis with out with the ability to hear the sound of the ball.

“Every time I went on the line to serve and every time I did that, everyone was booing. I felt I didn’t do anything bad in the match to, like, receive this treatment, and I didn’t want to serve in those conditions,” Bonzi mentioned. “So I was waiting.”

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 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. But 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 finally departing.

A U.S. Tennis Association spokesman mentioned the photographer was escorted from the courtroom by U.S. Open safety and his credential was revoked.

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This story has been corrected to indicate that Bonzi misplaced the purpose on match level. A earlier model said that he double-faulted.

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