Wimbledon 2017: Daniil Medvedev throws coins at umpire's chair after losing second round match
The Russian youngster became embroiled in a bizarre controversy after he angrily pelted the umpire's chair with coins after losing his second round match in five sets
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Your support makes all the difference.Daniil Medvedev’s Wimbledon dream turned into a nightmare on Wednesday, as he was caught up in a bizarre row with officials which culminated in him pelting the umpire’s chair with coins.
The 21-year-old dominated the headlines on Monday night when he knocked out fifth-seed Stan Wawrinka in the very first round.
Few gave Medvedev a hope against the experienced Wawrinka, who arrived in SW19 hoping to complete a career slam, but the youngster held his nerve to prevail 6-4 3-6 6-4 6-1 on his Centre Court debut.
However, his Wimbledon fairy-tale soured on Wednesday as he was caught up in a bizarre row during his second round match against Belgium’s Ruben Bemelmans.
The match went to five sets, with Medvedev moving into a 2-0 lead. However, a series of controversial decisions saw the Russian lose his head, with Bemelmans breaking back and taking control.
An irate Medvedev asked the court supervisor for the umpire to be removed, only for his request to be declined. Bemelmans eventually won the match 6-4 6-2 3-6 2-6 6-3.
At the end of the match, Medvedev took out his wallet and started throwing coins at the bottom of the umpire’s chair, before storming away from the court.
When asked whether he was trying to insinuate that the umpire was bribed, Medvedev said: “I haven’t thought about it and that’s not the why I did it.
“I was disappointed with the result of the match. It was frustrating after a big win I had. All the match was not going well for me, so I was just very disappointed.
“In the heat of the moment, I did a bad thing. I apologise for this,” he added. “It was just that I was packing my things and I saw my wallet.”
Bemelmans will play either Kevin Anderson or Andreas Seppi in the third round.
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