In a truly dramatic and wild start to the US Open, French tennis player Benjamin Bonzi defeated former champion Daniil Medvedev in a match that had everyone talking. The five-set match was filled with controversy, with a major turning point that saw Medvedev, known for his hot temper, get into a heated argument with the chair umpire. This dispute caused a major shift in the match's momentum, leading to a thrilling finish that went on well into the night.
The most talked-about part of the match happened during the third set. Bonzi was leading and just one point away from winning the entire match. He hit his first serve, but it was a fault, meaning he had one more chance to win the point. As he was getting ready to serve again, a photographer walked onto the court.
The chair umpire, a man named Greg Allensworth, immediately stopped the game. He told the photographer to get off the court and then announced that because of the delay, Bonzi would get another first serve. This is a common rule in tennis when a player is interrupted by something outside of the game.
This simple ruling made Medvedev furious. He marched up to the umpire's chair and began to argue loudly. He even yelled into the microphones behind the chair, saying, "He wants to go home, guys. He doesn't like to be here. He gets paid by the match, not by the hour."
After the match, Medvedev explained that he wasn't upset with the photographer. Instead, he was upset with the umpire's decision, believing that the short delay wasn't long enough to warrant a do-over on the serve. He also shouted, "What did Reilly Opelka say?" as he walked away from the umpire's chair. This was a clear reference to another player, Reilly Opelka, who had been fined heavily in February for calling the same umpire the "worst on tour." Medvedev later told reporters that he couldn't say more because he was "getting big fine enough" and would be in "big trouble" if he spoke his mind.
Medvedev's outburst and his back-and-forth with the umpire got the crowd involved, and they started to boo him loudly. Instead of trying to calm the fans down, Medvedev seemed to enjoy the negative attention. He blew kisses to them and encouraged the boos, which he has done in the past. The booing went on for so long that Medvedev had to motion for the crowd to be quiet so Bonzi could finally serve.
Bonzi, who had been on the verge of victory, was now struggling to play. He said it was difficult to play with the crowd whistling and booing. He felt he hadn't done anything wrong to deserve that kind of treatment and didn't want to serve in such a noisy environment, so he had to wait for them to quiet down.
When Bonzi finally did serve, he missed his first attempt, lost the point, and then lost the game. This completely changed the momentum of the match. What seemed like a certain victory for Bonzi suddenly became a comeback for Medvedev. Medvedev went on to win the third set and then dominated the fourth set, winning it 6-0.
After a rocky start, Bonzi managed to regain his focus in the fifth and final set. He played a strong, consistent game, while Medvedev's frustration seemed to get the best of him. In the end, Bonzi was able to close out the match, winning 6-3, 7-5, 6-7, 0-6, 6-4
Bonzi later said the match was "crazy" and called it his "best victory ever." He also criticized Medvedev's behavior, saying it "crossed a line" and that Medvedev had "put oil on the fire," making a tense situation even worse.
This wasn't the first time Bonzi had beaten Medvedev in a major tournament; he also defeated him in the first round of Wimbledon. After this tough loss, a clearly upset Medvedev sat in his chair and smashed his racket several times before leaving the court.
The photographer who caused the delay was escorted off the court by security and had their official press pass taken away. This match will surely be remembered as one of the most dramatic and chaotic of the tournament, showing both Bonzi's strength and Medvedev's well-known struggles with his temper.
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