"I don't like when they go on me; If it brings good luck, perfect for me" - Daniil Medvedev jokes about Shanghai Masters butterfly incident
Daniil Medvedev sailed through his opening clash at the Shanghai Masters against Cristian Garin. However, there was a slight hitch during the match as a butterfly stopped the play during the second set.
The Russian was cruising through the contest at the ATP 1000 tournament after receiving a first-round bye. He took the first set to put Garin on the back foot and broke the Chilean early in the second set to extend his advantage.
But during Medvedev's service game, a butterfly flew and sat on the back of his t-shirt and then on his ball, briefly halting the play. The ball boy replaced the ball, and Medvedev went to wrap up the match in one hour and 32 minutes 6-3, 6-3.
During his post-match press conference, Daniil Medvedev was told about the famous Chinese belief that if a butterfly sits on a person, it brings them good luck.
The World No. 3 found the incident funny and revealed that while he is not scared of insects, he does not like butterflies coming near him. Medvedev was pretty happy to take all the good luck that came with his interaction with the butterfly, though.
"Yeah, I mean, it was pretty funny because I think butterflies are beautiful, but in a way, I'm a little bit not scared of insects, but, like, I don't like when they go on me," he said.
"So I was a little bit, like, I know it cannot do anything to me, but I was like, Okay, what I would do in here, and then when it sat on the ball, that was actually pretty funny because I could give it to the ball boy and, yeah, funny moment. I don't think ever happened to me, and if it brings good luck, perfect for me, I'm happy about it," the Russian continued.
Daniil Medvedev to face Sebastian Korda in Shanghai Masters next
Daniil Medvedev will be up against Sebastian Korda in the third round of the Shanghai Masters on Monday, October 9.
The Russian is the defending champion in Shanghai, winning the tournament in 2019 by beating Alexander Zverev in the final. He entered the competition this year after finishing runners-up at the ATP 500 China Open.
Medvedev and Korda have a head-to-head record of 1-1, with the latter winning their most recent clash at the Australian Open on January 7-6(7), 6-3, 7-6 (4).
The American also played a title bout last week, his second of the year, losing to Adrian Mannarino at the ATP 250 Astana Open.
He is seeded No. 26 in the Masters 1000 tournament in Shanghai and also received a first-round bye. He defeated the local player Bu Yunchaokete to set up a clash with Medvedev.
Daniil Medvedev was asked about his thoughts on Korda during his post-match press conference after beating Garin. The former US Open champion is well aware of Korda's strengths and recalled their Australian Open match. While he expects it to be a tough contest, Medvedev believes he has what it takes to better the young American this time around.
"Tough match because the only time I played him I lost and in straight sets and in a Grand Slam. So I for sure remember it. He played well. He was very dominant, in a way, and that's how he plays, so it's going to be interesting for me. I'm in a good shape now, so I will try to do better than last time and try to win," he said.