A 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(7) thriller between Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev–won by Medvedev–in the third round of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters did not end on the court. Instead, it spilled over into the press room.
“He is one of the most unfair players in the world,” Zverev said, referencing a bathroom break that the Russian took midway through the third set. “I take fair play and sportsmanship very serious. He does not. There are 1,000 situations in which he feels that I start to play better and in which he tries to do something every time. I’m extremely disappointed from him as an athlete.
“Of course, you can argue that it’s not good from me that I get distracted. This should not happen to me and it’s totally my fault and it really was bad from my side. But still I feel fair play should always be part of sports.”
Medvedev hit back, saying that the German “should have done better” when he twice failed to serve out the match–once in the second set again in the third. The recent Indian Wells runner-up and Miami champion didn’t stop there.
“Sascha is living in his own world,” Medvedev added. “I already had like five players in the locker room coming to me and saying (jokingly), ‘Come on, Daniil, why are you so unfair?’
“When he says someone is not fair play, you’re like, ‘Okay, great. Look at yourself in the mirror.'”
There hasn’t been much love lost throughout this Monte-Carlo Masters 1000 event. In response to Stefanos Tsitsipas calling American clay “a unicorn on a skateboard,” Taylor Fritz–after upsetting the Greek in the quarterfinals–signed the camera with “USA clay???” However, all of that was really done in jest without any ill will.
There was some real animosity in the Holger Rune vs. Jannik Sinner semifinal, though. Following a frosty Medvedev-Zverev handshake, another quick one took place between Rune and Sinner. During the 19-year-old Dane’s 1-6, 7-6, 7-5 victory, he frequently riled up a pro-Italian crowd and also hit two forehands in his opponent’s directions following shots that had already been called out.
“I don’t want to comment,” Sinner said, taking a much different approach than Medvedev and Zverev.
popcorn
That was so close . On clay Zverev might have the better record, but there’s not much between them on any surface.Nor much love lost
““I don’t want to comment,” Sinner said, taking a much different approach than Medvedev and Zverev.”
One more reason to like him, the Italian with a German work ethics and manners, good on you Sinner 👍