Daniil Medvedev's US Open match was interrupted on Wednesday when two small birds landed on the net, forcing the umpire to call a let. The incident occurred while Medvedev's opponent, American wildcard Sebastian Gorzny, was serving at 1-4 30-15 in the second set.
Umpire halts play mid-rally
The No. 7 seed was on top in the rally when chair umpire Timo Janzen suddenly told the players to stop. Medvedev was stunned, placing his hands on his head and walking up to the chair to tell the official: “This is very bad.”
As Medvedev walked back to the baseline, Janzen confirmed he had called a let. “Due to the birds, we will replay the point,” he told the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd.
Medvedev explains frustration
The 2021 champion did not complain again during the match and went on to claim a 6-1 6-3 7-5 victory to reach the third round. But Medvedev was happy to air his frustrations during the on-court interview and revealed that his annoyance stemmed from the delay in making the call.
“I saw them [the birds] straight away, and I thought the point would stop straight away, but it didn’t. Then we played for 45 seconds, and the moment I hit the winner, we say stop,” he explained.
