The opening round of the US Open took a strange twist on Sunday night as the match between Daniil Medvedev and Benjamin Bonzi was temporarily delayed after a photographer entered the court.
The incident occurred late in the third set, with Bonzi on the verge of completing what would have been a win in straight sets. It was at that point that a photographer wandered onto the court just as the French native was preparing to serve, prompting the official to shout at the media member while delaying the match.
From there, total chaos ensued, with the audience in attendance erupting in boos. Medvedev, for his part, played to the crowd, waving his arms to amplify the boos before engaging in a heated discussion with the official and even addressing the television audience while speaking directly into ESPN’s camera.
“Are you a man? Are you a man? why are you shaking?” Medvedev asked the official before turning his attention to the ESPN camera. “He wants to go home guys, he doesn’t like to be here. He gets paid by the match not by the hour.”
The delay lasted nearly seven minutes with the crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium booing throughout. Once returning to the court, Medvedev bounced back to take the third set, after which the photographer who had caused the delay was spotted leaving the venue.
Medvedev proceeded to force a fifth set and jumped out to a 40-lead in the seventh game before Bonzi saved five break points and rallied to ultimately win the match nearly 90 minutes after the photographer delay. The chaotic atmosphere then continued into the post-match, with the crowd continuing to boo as Medvedev smashed his racquet into pieces.
At this point, it’s still unclear why the photographer had attempted to enter the court, causing the initial delay. Don’t, however, expect for him to be back at the US Open anytime soon, with Bounces’ Ben Rothenberg reporting that he had been escorted from the event by security and that his credential has been revoked by UTSA.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.