Daniil Medvedev expecting ‘big fine’ after US Open outburst
By Eleanor Crooks, PA Sport Correspondent, New York
Former champion Daniil Medvedev is expecting a big fine after a meltdown at match point incited the US Open crowd and delayed his dramatic five-set loss to Benjamin Bonzi.
The fiery Russian was incensed when, with Bonzi serving at 5-4 and advantage in the third set, a cameraman walked onto the court between the Frenchman’s first and second serve, causing a brief delay that umpire Greg Allensworth deemed merited a retake of his first serve for Bonzi.
Medvedev immediately went to Allensworth to protest the decision and whipped up the booing crowd, shouting: “Are you a man? Why are you shaking? He wants to go home guys, he doesn’t like to be here. He gets paid by the match, not by the hour.”
Although Medvedev then returned to the baseline, he continued to encourage the reaction of the crowd and it was more than six minutes before Bonzi finally hit his serve.
Medvedev went on to win the point, that set and the next to pull himself back into the contest only for Bonzi to repeat his Wimbledon victory over the Russian, who has now lost in the opening round of a grand slam tournament for the third time in a row.
Medvedev placed the blame on the crowd after the 6-3 7-5 6-7 (5) 0-6 6-4 defeat, which finished in the early hours, saying: “What I say and what I do, in my head, I want to do worse, and I cannot because there are rules, because we’re on a tennis court.
“So I just expressed my emotions, my unhappiness with the decision, and then the crowd did what they did without me asking them too much, and it was fun to witness.”
The 29-year-old also repeatedly yelled out “What did Reilly Opelka say?” – the American player called Allensworth the worst umpire on tour after an incident in a match earlier this season.
Medvedev declined to speak more about Allensworth, adding: “I’m getting a big fine enough, so if I speak, I’m in big trouble, so I’m not going to speak.
“Not 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.”
Bonzi was unhappy with Medvedev’s behaviour, saying: “Daniil started it, and he put oil on the fire. He went crazy with the crowd. Honestly, I never saw that.”
It appeared the incident would help Medvedev avoid another shock loss but it was Bonzi who managed to emerge the stronger in the fifth set, with his Russian opponent sitting disconsolately in his chair at the end of the contest and smashing his racket repeatedly.
Bonzi, who is ranked 51, said: “I’m very proud of myself, the scenario of the match, the match point in the third. Then Daniil playing great and taking full advantage in the fourth.
“I was not in my best physically in the fifth. I tried to fight very hard to give all I had. I saw that he was not maybe at his best, too. It’s kind of crazy, this match. For me, it’s my best victory ever. It’s very special to do it here.”