Medvedev unleashes angry tirade at Wimbledon umpire after hitting cameraperson

Daniil Medvedev became involved in a heated row with an umpire at Wimbledon during his quarter-final clash with Chris Eubanks after appearing to strike a ball that hit a camera operator. The Russian star wore the look of an exasperated player after allowing his opponent back into the match at 1-1 in sets, and his frustration boiled over when he hit a stray ball in the direction of a cameraworker.

Medvedev had taken the first set 6-4 against the American and he looked to be on his way to another Grand Slam semi-final. But the valiant Eubanks has shown a proclivity to never give up and he fought back with an extraordinary second-set display.

The 27-year-old hit an extraordinary 17 winners to Medvedev’s six and stopped the Russian from winning on his serve despite getting 89 per cent of his first serves in, breaking him twice and getting the crowd behind him with some incredible shots.

Midway through the third set, Medvedev’s emotions were running high and he smashed the ball against the court after failing to reach it – only for the ball to ricochet off the grass and hit a nearby camera operator at the side of the court.

READ MORE Wimbledon ace Chris Eubanks living up to ‘honorary Brit’ tag on practice court[NEWS]

He was handed a warning from the umpire for his actions and a furious Medvedev challenged the Frenchman in the chair, Damien Damusois, to explain his decision.

The world No 3 remonstrated over the decision, appearing to gesture that it was purely accidental as he switched to French to make his argument known. But his pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears and play continued soon after.

It was not known if the person was hurt by the ball, but players are usually penalised in this scenario to avoid unsportsmanlike conduct. More severe cases of ball girls and boys, line judges and even the umpire being struck could result in a player being defaulted – but Medvedev was in no danger of being disqualified.

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

DON’T MISS
Wimbledon grant Daniil Medvedev request that could prevent Chris Eubanks upset[LATEST]
Daniil Medvedev shares theory on Wimbledon boos after Belarusian’s savage reply[REACTION]
Chris Eubanks’ tears sum up Wimbledon hero as American plots another major upset[INSIGHT]

It proved to be a turning point in the set for Eubanks, who kept his head cool and composed as he raced towards a 2-1 lead in sets while Medvedev lost his nerve.

The 27-year-old recovered for the fourth set after having time to reset and the pair were locked at 3-3 in a thrilling quarter-final clash.

Eubanks is aiming to continue his fairytale run at SW19, having never made it past the second round of a Slam before. He knocked out Stefanos Tsitsipas and Cameron Norrie on his way to the last eight, and the American’s big-serving style has been difficult to contain.

BBC commentator John Lloyd even tipped Eubanks to win the tournament ahead of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz if he manages to beat Medvedev and repeat his second-set performance.

“He absolutely took on Medvedev and brushed him aside,” Lloyd said after the second set.

“Now, can he continue this? If he continues playing like this, plays sets like that, he wins the tournament. I don’t think anyone can beat him based on that set.

“But you’ve got to win two more, and keep on playing like that for three or four hours. I can’t believe he can do it, but that was absolutely breathtaking tennis.”

Source: Read Full Article