(CNN) — Daniil Medvedev has become this year’s US Open villain.
The Russian defeated Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 7-6(1), 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-4 — his second four-set triumph in consecutive days — but it turned out his unruly behaviour in the court that had supporters lustily booing that the 23-year-old at Louis Armstrong Stadium at Friday’s night session.
Medvedev first got in the first place under the fans’ skin, after he angrily grabbed a towel from a 28, when he obtained a code violation. His racquet threw when learning of the violation that seat umpire Damien Dumusois had given him.
Later, following a confrontation with Dumusois, TV cameras picked up Medvedev putting a hand into his head giving the finger — outside of the view of Dumusois. Boos rained down in the audience, and Lopez immediately became the fan favorite.
Medvedev lifted his arms up , motioning to the audience to keep going, after he won, surrounded by boos.
“Thank you all, guys, because your energy tonight gave me the triumph,” Medvedev said in an interview on court. “Because if you’re not here, men, I probably would drop the match. I had been cramping because I was so tired. It had been so tough. So I need every one of you to be aware of when you sleep tonight, I won because of you.”
The boos continued.
“The energy you’re giving me right now, guys, I believe it’ll be enough for the five following matches. I meanthe more you do so, the more I’ll win for you guys.”
Nothing new for Russian
When it comes to Medvedev, controversy is nothing new. In 2017 in Wimbledon, he had been fined $14,500 for many infractions, such as tossing coins at the management of chair umpire Mariana Alves after a five-set loss.
He had been disqualified by a Challenger event a year to get a racist comment in Georgia. Aggrieved a call went when playing Donald Young, he explained to the chair umpire Sandy French — Young and French are equally shameful –“I know that you are buddies. I’m confident about it.”
He later apologized.
Even the Russian, seeded fifth, has mastered on the hard courts such as winning his first Masters 1000 title in the Western & Southern Open in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, earlier this month. His next opponent would probably likely be 118th-ranked qualifier Dominik Koepfer.
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