Daniil Medvedev expecting ‘big fine’ after US Open outburst

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