Ex-US Open champ suffers meltdown in a third-set flashpoint after an errant photographer’s action caused a point replay.
France’s Benjamin Bonzi sent 13th seed Daniil Medvedev crashing out of the US Open in a stormy late-night thriller that boiled over into chaos following an extraordinary third-set meltdown by the Russian.
Bonzi advanced to the second round after holding his nerve to win 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 0-6, 6-4 in three hours and 45 minutes on Sunday night at Flushing Meadows in New York.
The match exploded into drama in the third set as Bonzi served at advantage on match point, leading 5-4 after winning the opening two sets.
After faulting on his first serve, Bonzi prepared to serve again when chair umpire Greg Allensworth suddenly halted play after a photographer mistakenly walked onto the court.
Allensworth called for time after shouting, “Not now, get off the court, please”, before awarding a new first serve to Bonzi on the grounds of a “delay caused by outside interference”.
That prompted an incandescent reaction from Medvedev, who sprinted across the court to remonstrate angrily with Allensworth, accusing the umpire of seeking to end the match early.
“Are you a man? Are you a man?” the 2021 US Open champion asked Allensworth, before shouting into a courtside microphone: “He wants to go home, guys. He doesn’t like to be here; he gets paid by the match, not by the hour.”
Medvedev then turned to the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd, waving his arms wildly to encourage them to voice their displeasure.
As deafening catcalls and jeers rained down, play was held up for more than six minutes before Bonzi finally got the opportunity to serve for the match once again.
With the Frenchman clearly rattled, Medvedev saved match point and then went on to force a third-set tie-break, which he duly won to keep the match alive.
France’s Benjamin Bonzi returns the ball to Russia’s Daniil Medvedev during their men’s singles first round tennis match [Charly Triballeau/AFP]
Medvedev recovers, then falls at the final hurdle
Bonzi appeared to wilt in the fourth set, Medvedev winning 6-0 to send it to a decider.
But Bonzi showed great resolve in the fifth set, twice recovering from going a break down before breaking Medvedev’s serve to seal victory.
“It was crazy. I may have got some new fans but also some new non-fans,” Bonzi said afterwards.
“The energy was wild. Thanks to all those who were booing that gave me energy in the fifth.”
Bonzi admitted he had lost composure during Medvedev’s third-set antics.
“I never experienced something like that. Maybe we wait five minutes before the match point, and it was so difficult to play,” he said.
“I tried to stay calm and stay in the match, but it was not easy.”
Medvedev, meanwhile, slumped to his seat after the defeat, smashing a racquet violently in frustration.
Medvedev becomes the first former champion to exit this year’s tournament, leaving Flushing Meadows after a disappointing year at the majors, during which he managed to reach the second round just once.
Sunday’s incident was reminiscent of Medvedev’s 2019 match on the same court, when fans booed him for his antics and he later taunted the crowd in his post-match interview, saying the jeers gave him energy. Medvedev had snatched the towel from a ball person during the match and was given a code violation by umpire Damien Dumusois. He then threw his racket in the direction of Dumusois, barked something at him and later flashed his middle finger next to his forehead as he walked past the umpire’s chair, actions that led to him being fined $9,000 for that match.
Medvedev breaks his racket after losing his men’s singles first round tennis match against Bonzi [Charly Triballeau/AFP]
