Daniil Medvedev, the 13th seed, was thrown out of the US Open by France’s Benjamin Bonzi in a sour late-night thriller that boiled over into chaos after the Russians’ extraordinary third-set meltdown.
After overcoming his nerves to win 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5/14), 0-6, 6-4 on Sunday night at Flushing Meadows in New York, Bonzi made it to the second round.
In the third set, Bonzi served with a 5-4 lead after winning the first two sets, adding drama to the drama.
When chair umpire Greg Allensworth abruptly stopped play after a photographer accidentally entered the court, Bonzi prepared to serve once more.
Before giving Bonzi a new first serve on the grounds of a “delay caused by outside interference,” Allensworth demanded time after shouting, “Not now, get off the court, please.”
Medvedev reacted incendiously to Allensworth’s accusation that the umpire was trying to end the game early by running across the court.
“Are you a man,” you ask? Do you consider yourself a man? Before yelling into a courtside microphone, the 2021 US Open champion said, “He wants to go home, guys.” He dislikes being here, and instead is compensated hourly rather than by the match.
The Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd was then greeted by Medvedev, who waved his arms in vain in protest.
Play was halted for more than six minutes before Bonzi had the chance to start the match once more as the loud catcalls and jeers poured down.
The Frenchman was obviously alarmed, so Medvedev saved the match point and then proceeded to force a third-set tie-break, which he duly won to keep the game alive.
Medvedev recovers before falling at the final hurdle.
In the fourth set, Bonzi appeared to wilt, with Medvedev winning 6-0 to decide the match.
However, in the fifth set, Bonzi displayed incredible resolve, breaking Medvedev’s serve twice to seal victory.
“It was crazy,” he said. After that, Bonzi said, “I may have some new fans but also some new non-fans.”
“There was a wild energy. Thank you to everyone who booed me, which gave me energy in the fifth minute.
Bonzi acknowledged that Medvedev’s third-set antics had left him unsure.
“I’ve never had that experience.” He speculated that the match point was a five-minute delay because it was so challenging to play.
“I tried to remain composed and engaged throughout the game,” he said.
Medvedev, however, slammed into his seat in frustration after being defeated, violently slamming a racquet.
Medvedev, who had a disappointing year at the majors, makes history by leaving Flushing Meadows for the first time to reach the second round.
Medvedev’s 2019 match on the same court was reminiscent of his incident on Sunday, when fans booed him for his behavior and he later made fun of the crowd in an interview afterward, saying that the jeers gave him energy. Umpire Damien Dumusois issued a code violation after Medvedev grabbed the towel from a ballhander during the game. He then barked at Dumusois, flashed his middle finger next to his forehead, and the resultant action resulted in a $9, 000 fine for the match.
Source: Aljazeera
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