Daniil Medvedev smashed a net camera to pieces during an on-court meltdown as he narrowly avoided defeat in the first round of the Australian Open.
The Russian let his emotions get the better of him when he angrily rammed his racquet against the camera in the middle of the net after slipping behind to Thai wildcard Kasidit Samrej in the third set.
Kasidit, the world No 418 who has never previously competed on the ATP Tour, threatened to pull off one of the biggest shocks in Australian Open history on his Grand Slam debut after going toe-to-toe with fifth seed Medvedev for most of the five-set thriller.
Medvedev’s frustrations began to surface early in the second set, before he exploded in the third when Kasidit grabbed a crucial break as a net chord pinged the ball beyond Medvedev’s reach.
The incident was enough to provoke a full-scale meltdown from the Russian as he repeatedly whacked the middle of the net, destroying both his racquet and the camera in the process.
Replays show the camera feed cut off completely after Medvedev’s furious outburst, which prompted boos from the crowd and required a ball kid to pick up the pieces that had splintered off.
At that point, it looked as if the Moscow native was heading for his earliest exit in Melbourne since his Grand Slam debut in 2017, but the prospects of a giant killing quickly faded when Samrej began to wilt, before the Russian closed out a 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 win.
Despite venting his anger, 2021 US Open champion Medvedev, who has made a habit of five-set matches in Melbourne, appeared to be in a jubilant mood after labouring to victory.
“I know that I play better when I play more tennis, so why play one hour 30 [minutes]?” said Medvedev, who conceded a two-set lead against Jannik Sinner in last year’s final.
“It’s [a] minimum three hours to feel my shots better and to have a good sensation.”
He added: “[In the] second and third set, I couldn’t touch the ball. Full power, everything in, I didn’t know what to do. I watched his matches and I didn’t see his level, so I was surprised. If he plays like this every match, life will be good – money, girls, casino, whatever.”
