Russian world No.2 Daniil Medvedev threatened to implode in his fourth-round match against American challenger Maxime Cressy.
The No.2 seed and reigning US Open champion won 6-2 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 at Margaret Court Arena.
“This is my unluckiest day ever!” Medvedev was heard screaming during the match.
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He was asked about that moment after the win.
“The fourth set was crazy… every time I would have a break point, and he had a second serve – he did have a few double faults today – and I wouldn’t even be able to return it, he would touch the line. I was like ‘when will this end for me’,” he said during his on-court interivew.
“At the time when I said it, the ball touched the net and it fell on my side. I was like ‘really? Again?’.”
During the fourth set, Medvedev let his emotions get the better of him after getting fed up with the shot clock.
The Russian top seed fumed during a change of ends, claiming there was a delay at the end of the countdown that wasn’t being enforced by the chair umpire.
“For who are the rules?” Medvedev asked the chair umpire.
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“I freakin’ cannot compete, and you’re going to wait seven seconds and then see zero, and you don’t say anything.
“The rules are for who? For who are the rules, man?
“I will wait 30 seconds to come down after the changeover.”
Soon after, the chair umpire warned Cressy about the time he was taking between serves.
Medvedev had to struggle against the No.70-ranked Cressy in a match lasting three-and-a-half hours. Cressy saved eight break-point chances in the fourth set before Medvedev got the decisive break in the 11th game, then served out at love to finish it off.
“I’ve played some tougher ones, but it was long,” Medvedev said.
“It was not easy. The scoreline, only the first set I managed to squeeze in front of him, and all the other sets were tough.
“If I hadn’t won the fourth one I would have probably been in a tough mental shape because I had so many break points. I just wanted to make one.”
– with AP
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