NEW YORK – Daniil Medvedev’s game was postponed for more than six minutes between points Sunday night after a photographer entered the court at the match point, and the 2021 U.S. Open champion was irritated by the president’s referee’s decision to award his opponent his first serve.
Benjamin Bonzi just won his first inning and led 5-4 after winning the first two games. After he missed it, a photographer left his position before the French could hit the second time.
Chairman referee Greg Allensworth told the photographer that he would end up and then announced that Bonzi would get another serve due to delays, which is common in tennis. Medvedev then approached the chair and complained about the decision.
“He wants to go home, guys. He doesn’t like it here. He’s paid for the game, not by the hour,” Medvedev shouted at the microphone behind the chair.
Medvedev kept encouraging the loud booing on Louis Armstrong’s stadium, which eventually lasted for a long time, and then he tried to calm the fans so that Bonzi could serve. When he finally did it, he doubled out and Medvedev won the game and later the finale to extend the game.
It reminds me of Medvedev’s 2019 game in the same court, when fans booed his move, and later he said in a post-match interview that the crowd gave him energy. He reached the final of that year and then won the championship two years later.
