Published 16:24 IST, January 14th 2025
No. 5-seeded Daniil Medvedev Dismantles Net Camera with Racket Amidst Intense Five-Set Triumph at AO 2025
At the Australian Open, Daniil Medvedev was behind in his first-round match in the main stadium when he used his racket to smash a tiny camera in the nets.
- SportFit
- 2 min read
No. 5 seeded Daniil Medvedev looked to have a rough time when he began his campaign in the Australian Open 2025. The Russian tennis professional was trailing at one stage during the first-round match at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park. Medvedev's anger was boiling up as he was trailing at one point in the match-up against an unseeded player. Daniil took his frustration out on a small camera that was placed in the nets.
Frustrated Daniil Medvedev Smashes Net Camera, Racquet During Australian Open 2025
Daniil Medvedev was not at his best while facing the 418th-ranked wild card entrant, Thailand's Kasidit Samrej. Daniil was in a position of suffering an upset loss against a Grand Slam debutant and was left frustrated after he lost a 13-stroke point to trail at 40-15. Samrej hit a shot which hit the edge of the net, and it altered the ball's route while in the air. After that, Medvedev lost his balance and could not make contact with a cross-court forehand from his opponent.
After missing the shot, Daniil Medvedev walked towards the net and smacked the racket on the net with full force. The small camera, which was placed in the middle of the net, was broken and small shards of the equipment were seen flying. The Russian star's actions earned a code violation warning for racket abuse from the chair umpire.
“I know I play better when I play more tennis. So I was like, ‘Why play 1 hour, 30 (minutes)?’ Need a minimum of three hours, at least, to feel my shots better,” Medvedev said after winning the first-round match-up in Australia.
Also Read: Nick Kyrgios Says His Australian Open Loss Might Have Been His Last Singles Match In Melbourne
Australian Open: Daniil Medvedev Survives Scare, Defeats Samrej
Daniil Medvedev had a hard time while facing Thailand's Kasidit Samrej. The Grand Slam debutant swept two back-to-back sets in the match, which on till five rounds. The Russian eventually avoided a monumental upset and won the first-round 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park, Australia.
Medvedev swiftly turned things around, winning 61 of the final 94 points and 12 of the final 15 games. He finished 34 to 69 with 24 aces and less than half of Samrej's unforced errors.
The Russian Tennis star will now face US' Learner Tien in the second-round match at the Australian Open.
[With AP Inputs]
Updated 16:24 IST, January 14th 2025