American star Frances Tiafoe says Daniil Medvedev’s sensation meltdown which incited the US Open crowd and delayed his dramatic five-set loss to Benjamin Bonzi was a “circus”.
The fiery former champion was incensed when, with Bonzi serving at 5-4 and advantage in the third set, a photographer walked onto the court between the Frenchman’s first and second serve, causing a brief delay that umpire Greg Allensworth deemed merited another 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.”
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Daniil Medvedev utterly destroyed his racket after defeat against Benjamin Bonzi in an tense and drama-filled match at the US Open
Although Medvedev then returned to the baseline, he continued to encourage the reaction of the crowd and it was nearly seven 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 6-3 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 0-6 6-4.
Frances Tiafoe called the match between Medvedev and Bonzi a ‘circus’
Tiafoe, who launched his latest bid to end the American men’s drought at the US Open with a confident win over Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka on Monday, said: “I had to sleep early, and I hate going to bed early, so I only saw everything this morning.
“It was a circus. That was something, for sure. But I mean, I get it. Look, I mean, it went overboard on a bunch of different sides, but I think it’s just tough.
“People don’t understand. You’re travelling a lot. He [Medvedev] holds himself to a super high standard. He’s been struggling, and he’s struggling to face the music, right? He’s struggling to face losing early and to guys he feels like he should be beating, and unprecedented matches, things not going your way.
“Another side comes out, and I hope to see him play to the level he’s capable of playing. Obviously it’s been a super tough stretch for him.
“To take the athlete out, to be a fan, I thought it was funny as hell. I’m not going to lie to you. I thought it was crazy, for sure.”
Norrie: Medvedev will be back
Cameron Norrie has backed Medvedev to return to his best
British No 2 Cameron Norrie said he would tell Medvedev to “enjoy his tennis a little bit more.”
“For me he’s one of my favourite players and I like the way he plays,” said Norrie, who profited from the injury-induced retirement of opponent Sebastian Korda to reach the second round of the US Open.
“I don’t think he needs anything because the level of tennis has gone up and I just think it’s confidence and for me, I’ve seen him try a few new things this year and try to be a bit more aggressive.
“He’s been at the top of the game since I’ve been on tour and he’s someone who I have looked up to a lot. I would not say he needs to change anything. If I was to tell him something I would just tell him to enjoy his tennis a little bit more.
“You put a lot of pressure on yourself to stay at the top of the game and if you want to do that it’s easy to forget why you’re playing. I’m not worried about him. He’ll probably have a good end to the year and if not, he will have a big year next year. I have no doubt he will be back.”
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Medvedev and his opponent Bonzi were both left angered as a photographer halted play during a key moment of the game by entering the court
‘Medvedev must look at his attitude, behaviour, and his game!’
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Marion Bartoli and Tim Henman give their reaction following Medvedev’s meltdown during his opening round loss to Bonzi
Speaking to Sky Sports, 2004 US Open semi-finalist, Tim Henman expects Medvedev to look at a number aspects of his life and game having now lost in the opening round of a Grand Slam tournament for the third time in a row.
He said: “When you understand the rules of tennis, if there is an interruption between first and second serve, then you get a first serve, and when you have a cameraman walking on the court, the reality is that it has to be a first serve, but down match point, down two sets to love, Medvedev is clutching at straws, he is just trying anything really to upset the rhythm of the match, and he certainly, with the help of the New York crowd, he upset the match.
“Medvedev, at times we do expect the unexpected, but the reality is, when you look at his Grand Slam performances, this is a guy that won here in 2021, he’s been in multiple Grand Slam finals, and this year he’s won one match in the Grand Slams, and that’s where you’ve got to.
“He’s the one that’s going to have to go away, and not only look at his his attitude, his behaviour, but really have a look at where his game is at, because, you know, for me, he’s been such a consistent performer, top five players, won 20 titles on the tour, and his form has disintegrated, so he’s going to have to have a serious talk with himself and his team.”
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