WATCH: Medvedev Avoids Disqualification After Hitting Spectator In Face
Daniil Medvedev was close to getting disqualified from the 2023 Vienna Open after an incident in his first-round match.
In the opening round of the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna, the Russian, who is also the top seed in the Austrian capital, took on 19-year-old talented Frenchman, Arthur Fils. It comes a few days after the French player played in the final in Antwerp, so it was a real test for the Russian.
On the other hand, Medvedev was coming off a surprising second-round loss in Shanghai, and since the former world no. 1 usually does well during the indoor season, he certainly felt the pressure to start well in Vienna.
But the match was going well for him, without any major difficulties. Both players were solid on their serve in the opening set, before Medvedev broke in the seventh game, and confirmed the break with two holds to love to win the opener 6-4.
The second set was going even better for the top seed. He broke his opponent's serve twice, and at 5-1, Medvedev was only one game away from winning the match, yet he almost lost it in a split second.
Tennis is a sport where split-second decisions matter, and one of those was made also by the Russian. We've seen tennis players getting disqualified from matches for hitting spectators in the past, and quite often the rules are quite strict.
One of those moments happened in this match, when at 5-1 and 15-15, Fils served down the middle, and Medvedev couldn't catch the ball in time, resulting in a quick point for his opponent and a 30-15 lead.
However, as the ball was coming back from the backboard, Medvedev, seemingly surprised by it, swung with his racquet, and unintentionally hit the spectator in the front row right in the face.
Obviously, he didn't do it on purposes, but neither had players in the past that were disqualified for similar offences. The Russian, knowing possible consequences, immediately apologized to the woman, and the match continued as he cruised to a comfortable 6-4, 6-2 win.
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