Daniil Medvedev did not hold back after a pair of sparrows caused one of the strangest interruptions in recent US Open history. The seventh seed protested chair umpire Timo Janzen's decision to replay a point during his second-round victory over American wildcard Sebastian Gorzny on Wednesday at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The incident occurred midway through the second set with Medvedev leading 4-1 and Gorzny serving. Two small birds landed on the net during a rally and play continued, with both players exchanging multiple shots for roughly 45 seconds. When Medvedev hit a forehand toward the corner that sent one of the birds flying, Janzen abruptly stopped play and called a let.
Medvedev was livid. He placed his hands on his head, walked to the umpire's chair and told Janzen: "This is the most ridiculous decision I've seen in my life."
"I saw them straight away, and I thought the point would stop straight away, but it didn't," Medvedev told the crowd during his post-match interview. "Then we play for 45 seconds, and the moment I hit the winner, we say stop. I'm like, why? We played for 45 seconds, but it's okay."
The Russian, who won the title at Flushing Meadows in 2021, ranked the moment among the most chaotic of his career. "This would be definitely in the top five," he said with a grin.
Despite the disruption, Medvedev controlled the match throughout, firing 14 aces and saving the only break point he faced to win 6-1, 6-3, 7-5 in just over two hours. He advances to the third round and kept alive his hopes of a second US Open crown.
"I was not happy with the decision, but well, it is what it is, and you cannot do anything with it," Medvedev concluded. "The situation was pretty crazy, but I love this court. I'm happy to win. I'm happy to stay in the US Open in New York for longer."
Sources
- https://apnews.com/article/daniil-medvedev-us-open-birds-a5abab6a2a83fbed217bca737b91844f
- https://apnews.com/article/us-open-day-four-results-64691f17e4763b190f64980492472024
