Daniil
Medvedev had a heated discussion with the umpire in French after receiving a
warning for hitting a camera operator with the ball at Wimbledon.
The Russian
faced the tournament's surprise player, Christopher Eubanks, in a five-set
battle, where Medvedev found himself trailing 2-1 after the third set. However,
he managed to counter Eubanks' powerful serve and turned the match around by
winning the fourth and fifth sets, resulting in a final score of 6-4, 1-6, 4-6,
7-6(4), 6-1.
In the
third set, a peculiar situation unfolded when the 2021 US Open champion found
himself trailing 5-3 and Eubanks hit a drop shot that Medvedev couldn't reach
comfortably, causing him to hit the ball out of the court towards the crowd and
then raise his hand as a gesture of apology.
The
audience did not appreciate the situation and booed the Russian, who
accidentally hit a camera operator. As a result, the umpire decided to penalize
Medvedev and issued a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct, leading the athlete
to approach the umpire and engage in a discussion in French.
Despite the
challenging moment Medvedev experienced during the match, he managed to turn
the tide and claim victory. With this result, he achieved his best performance
at Wimbledon by reaching the semifinals. Previously, the former world No. 1 had
only reached the fourth round in 2021, where he lost to Hubert Hurkacz in a
five-set match.
This time,
as the third seed, Medvedev has emerged victorious in all his matches,
defeating Arthur Fery, Adrian Mannarino, Marlos Fucsovics, Jiri Lehecka, and
Christopher Eubanks.
In the
semifinals, he will face the first seed, Carlos Alcaraz, who convincingly
defeated the young Dane, Holger Rune, in straight sets. The Spanish player also
eliminated Jeremy Chardy, Alexandre Muller, Nicolas Jarry, and former Wimbledon
finalist Matteo Berrettini on his way to the semifinals.
Medvedev
and Alcaraz have previously faced each other twice, with one victory for each.
Their first encounter took place on the London grass in 2021, where the Russian
emerged victorious in three sets.