A US OPEN photographer sparked chaos on Sunday night when he inadvertently gatecrashed Daniil Medvedev’s first round match.
The Russian former world No1 was looking to kickstart his torrid season as he faced Benjamin Bonzi on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Bonzi, who beat Medvedev in round one of Wimbledon, held match point in the third set of their US Open clash.
After the Frenchman missed his first serve, a blundering snapper decided to walk onto court to try to get the perfect angle of the Frenchman’s moment of victory.
This prompted fury from Medvedev, who marched straight over to umpire Greg Allensworth.
The man in the chair, who was described by American big-server Reilly Opelka as the “worst ump on tour” earlier this year, said amid a cacophony of boos: “First serve. Ladies and gentlemen, because of the delay caused by an outside interference, first serve has been granted.”
Medvedev could not contain his fury, whipping up the crowd and bellowing at Allensworth: “Are you a man? Are you a man?
“Why are you shaking? What’s wrong, huh? Guys, he wants to leave. He gets paid by the match not by the hour. What did Reilly Opelka say?”
All the while, Bonzi stood patiently waiting to serve.
With the crowd in a frenzy, it was eventually six minutes until play resumed – and incredibly Bonzi double faulted, with Medvedev going on to break back before taking the third set.
Medvedev had looked dead and buried, but at this point it was game on.
The 29-year-old played close to the edge, at one point appearing to make an obscene gesture, while at other times he seemed to mock Bonzi’s fist pump celebrations.
When Medvedev levelled the match at two-sets all by winning the fourth 6-0, he appeared well in the ascendancy.
But he went on to let victory slip from his grasp as the match ebbed into the early hours of the morning, twice breaking Bonzi in the fifth set only to drop his own serve in the very next game.
Medvedev was then broken while serving at 4-5 to hand his opponent victory, hours after his controversial first match point.
This time there was no rebel photographer to disrupt matters, as he had earlier been escorted out by security, with his accreditation revoked.
As Medvedev slumped in his chair following defeat, the fuming former US Open champion smashed his racquet, thwacking it on the ground more than 10 times.
‘I’M IN BIG TROUBLE’
After the match, Medvedev said: “I’m getting a big enough fine so if I speak I’m in big trouble so I’m not gonna speak.
“Not everyone knows what I’m talking about when I said Reilly. Reilly got fined big time for this so I’m gonna get a big fine too.”
Further quizzed how much he thinks he’ll be fined, Medvedev added: “I have no idea they fine guys like me much more than other guys… (Nick) Kyrgios, me, (Alexander) Bublik, who else? Reilly.
“Even if Reilly’s a nice guy and they fine him just because they don’t like him.”
On the flashpoint, he said: “I just expressed my emotions, my unhappiness with the decision, and then the crowd did what they did without me asking them too much – it was fun witness.”
‘IT WAS NOT EASY’
Bonzi, meanwhile, said: “I have never experienced anything like that. It was so difficult to play, so noisy. But I tried to stay calm – it was not easy.”
Medvedev has a chequered history with the US Open.
In 2019 he infamously clashed with fans during a match against Feliciano Lopez, being viciously booed before telling the frenzied crowd: “I won because of you.”
Medvedev went on to lose to Rafael Nadal in the final that year, but wouldn’t be denied in 2021, when he thrashed Novak Djokovic to win the title and deny his opponent the calendar Grand Slam in the process.
MEDVEDEV’S DECLINE
The enigmatic star has endured a rough season, winning just one match at the majors – against world No418 Kasidit Samrej.
He went on to be knocked in round two of Australia by teenager Learner Tien, before falling at the first hurdle at Roland Garros, to Cameron Norrie, Wimbledon to Bonzi and now to the Frenchman again at Flushing Meadows.
Medvedev also took a dig at Bonzi during their meeting in SW19.
On that occasion, on his way to a four-set defeat, he asked: “Why not play like this every day, win millions, be rich?”
After shrugging his shoulders, he added: “No, he decides to do it once a year.”
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