Daniil Medvedev beat American wildcard Sebastian Gorzny 6-1, 6-3, 7-5 in the US Open second round on Wednesday to advance to the third round of the major tournament [1, 2]. Medvedev fired 14 aces and claimed the first set in just 21 minutes, demonstrating early dominance on the court [1, 2].
During a rally in the second set, two birds unexpectedly landed on the net. The umpire allowed play to continue for 45 seconds before deciding to replay the point, a decision that drew visible frustration from Medvedev. "I saw [the birds] straight away. I thought the point would stop straight away but it didn't. Then we play for 45 seconds and the moment I hit the winner we say stop. I'm like, 'Why? We played for 45 seconds!'. But it's okay. I was not happy with the decision but it is was it is," Medvedev said [1, 3, 2]. He added simply, "This is very bad."
Medvedev quickly regained composure and maintained a calm demeanor throughout the match, a contrast to his dramatic exit in the first round last year [1]. Although Gorzny, ranked 731st in the world, raised his level in the third set, saving four break points, Medvedev was able to break serve and close out the match [1, 2].
Medvedev said, "Being on the court, I was happy with my level. I love this court and I love you guys," reflecting his positive mindset despite the interruption [1].
In the third round, Medvedev is scheduled to face French player Arthur Rinderknech [3, 2].
