Credit: Twitter
On Thursday, Daniil Medvedev prevailed over Australian Christopher O'Connell after a fierce late-night struggle. The 6-2, 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-2 victory, which allowed the 2021 US Open winner to advance to the third round of the US Open, took four sets to complete.
His victory was tainted by several outbursts and abrasive exchanges with the audience. O'Connell exploited the energy of the fans to win four straight points to win the third set in a tiebreak while Medvedev showed signs of displeasure after failing to convert many match opportunities, losing one on a double fault.
A cameraman tried to get a closer look at Medvedev's obvious annoyance before the fourth set began, but he aggressively shoved the camera away. Then, with the fourth set knotted at one apiece, the 27-year-old aimed at spectators who were returning to their seats while chatting as he was attempting to serve. The crowd member blew him a kiss as she sat back down, and Medvedev seemed irritated by the diversion. The Russian yelled in rage, "Can you guys shut up? Are you stupid or what?
Watch the video here:
During the US Open, Medvedev has been involved in controversies before. Back in 2019, when he beat Feliciano Lopez in five sets, Medvedev had to put up with practically two hours of boos while the crowd joyfully applauded every error he made.
Sebastian Baez, who has won titles at the Australian Open and Winston-Salem Open, will be Medvedev's next opponent as he seeks the second major championship of his career in New York. Baez is currently riding a 12-match winning run. The 20-time tour champion is currently 51-11 in 2023 and has won four of the season's five hard-court championships.
