The clay-court season has got off to quite an eventful start. The season’s first Masters 1000 tournament on clay is taking place in Monaco, where top players are battling it out. However, Russian tennis star, Daniil Medvedev has been caught in the middle of a major controversy at the tournament. He is up against Gael Monfils in the second round of the tournament.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
The incident occurred in the fourth game of the second set when the line judged missed two consecutive calls on the baseline. The chair umpire only overruled the second one and this led to a sharp reaction from Medvedev. The Russian star was broken subsequently, which added fuel to the fire.
Some drama 😲
Line judge misses two consecutive calls on the baseline & Lahyani only overruled the second one…Medvedev is not happy 😠#RolexMonteCarloMasters pic.twitter.com/ROsRk0G0bP
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) April 10, 2024
During the changeover, Medvedev even had a heated argument with the chair umpire. He shouted that the ball was out multiple times and was sure about his judgment. On the contrary, the chair umpire Lahyani maintained his cool and was all ears for Medvedev.
Top Stories
Although Medvedev was broken in that game, the controversy didn’t affect the outcome of the match for him. He came back strongly to break Monfils’ serve twice in the second set to win the match 6-2, 6-4.
Medvedev is looking to win his first tournament this year and begin his clay-court season with a bang. As a result, he is extra determined to put on a good show. The controversy didn’t end with the game as he made a bizarre move after the match too.
Daniil Medvedev takes a sarcastic jibe at the umpire
The Russian tennis star was relieved to get over this incident and defeat Monfils in straight sets. However, he ensured to keep his point till the very end as he was seen writing ‘In or Out???’ on the camera after the match. With the challenge system not in place on the clay courts in Monaco, the calls of line judges and chair umpires become crucial in determining the outcome of the match.
DIVE DEEPER: Daniil Medvedev Spends Quality Time With His Look-Alike Daughter in Adorable Moment
However, both Medvedev and the chair umpire made up after the match and apologized to each other. While Medvedev accepted that maybe he might have been wrong, the chair umpire revealed, “No I think you’re right. Hawkeye always shows that way.”
With this win, Medvedev has entered the pre-quarterfinals of the tournament. He’ll next face his compatriot, Karen Khachanov in the round of 16 clash. Can he win the first title of his season at the Monte Carlo Masters? Let us know your views in the comments below.
Written by
Edited by
Arunima Bhanot