NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Daniil Medvedev thought the chair umpire\u2019s call was for the birds.<\/p>\n
Medvedev protested a decision Wednesday during his second-round victory at the U.S. Open<\/a> after the umpire ordered a point to be replayed because two birds sat on top of the net during multiple shots of a rally.<\/p>\n Medvedev led 4-1 in the second set with Sebastian Gorzny serving. Two small birds sat atop the net in Louis Armstrong Stadium during the middle of a point and play continued, with both players hitting multiple shots before Medvedev angled a forehand toward the corner that caused one of the birds to fly up. Umpire Timo Janzen quickly signaled for play to stop as Gorzny began to hit a shot that would not have gotten back into play.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the most ridiculous decisions I\u2019ve seen in my life,\u201d Medvedev said. \u201cThis is very bad.\u201d<\/p>\n Medvedev, no stranger to chaotic moments in Armstrong, was asked following his 6-1, 6-3, 7-5 victory where that one ranked.<\/p>\n \u201cThis would be definitely in the top five,\u201d he said. \u201cBut the thing is that when they came in, I thought, OK, the referee is going to stop the point, and he let it play, like, \u2018OK, let\u2019s play.\u2019 And the moment I hit the winner, he was, like, \u2018Stop! Stop! Stop!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Medvedev lost his first-round match in Armstrong last year, when his meltdown<\/a> after the umpire allowed Benjamin Bonzi a second serve because a photographer mistakenly entered the court too soon led to a delay of more than six minutes. His antics on the same court in 2019, followed by a postmatch interview in which he encouraged fans to continue raining down boos on him, led to a $9,000 fine.<\/p>\n He quickly let go of Wednesday\u2019s incident.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s OK,\u201d the 2021 champion said. \u201cIt happens.\u201d <\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n