NEW YORK – Daniil Medvedev’s match was delayed by more than six minutes between points on Sunday night after the photographer entered the court at match points, and the 2021 US Open champions were furious at the decision to award the referee’s first serve.
The latest Medvedev meltdown at Louis Armstrong Stadium has changed the game a lot. The No. 13 seed was a point away from being eliminated, earning the next two sets and forced the decision fifth before Benjamin Bonji eliminated him from the second straight major with a 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 0-6, 6-4 victory that ended early on Monday.
“I tried to settle down in the game, but that wasn’t easy,” Boni said.
Boni had just hit his first serve and led 5-4 in the third set. After he missed it, the photographer left his position before the French could hit his second.
Judge Greg Allensworth announced that after telling the photographer to get off the court, Bonnis will get another first serve due to the delay. This is common in tennis. Medvedev then approached the chair and complained about the decision.
“He wants to go home. Everyone. He doesn’t like being here. He gets paid for games, not time,” Medvedev cried out at the microphone behind his chair.
Medvedev continued to encourage big boos, but in the end it lasted so long that Bonzi tried to quiet the fans for him to serve. When Bonzi finally did, he missed the first serve and lost points, and Medvedev won the game, then won the set with a tiebreaker, extending the match.
“I’ve never experienced anything like that,” said Bongji, who had fans chanted his name from time to time.
When fans booed him for his antics and later said that the attacker gave him energy, it was reminiscent of Medvedev’s 2019 match in the same courthouse. Medvedev snatched a towel from Ballperson during the match and was given a code violation by referee Damien Dumusois. Medvedev threw a racket in the direction of Damsova and cried out something at him, then flushed his middle finger next to his forehead as he passed the umpire chair, fined $9,000 for the match.
Medvedev reached the final of that year and won the title two years later. However, he was only 1-4 in the Grand Slam tournament this year, and also pissed off Bonji in his first round at Wimbledon.
Medvedev sat in a chair a few minutes after Sunday’s match and repeatedly smashed his racket before finally leaving.
A spokesman for the American Tennis Association said the photographer was escorted from the court by US Open Security and his qualifications have been revoked.