"I screamed 'doctor' 3 times" - Daniil Medvedev forced to repeat his plea for medical attention after misunderstanding by chair umpire in US Open QF
During his quarterfinal match at the 2023 US Open, Daniil Medvedev confronted the chair umpire over a delay in receiving medical attention, only to learn that the umpire had misunderstood his initial request.
Medvedev advanced to the semifinals of the US Open for the fourth time in his career after defeating Rublev 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in two hours and 48 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Despite the scoreline indicating a straightforward victory, the former World No. 1's win was far from easy, given his struggles to play in the hot and humid conditions in New York.
Competing in the scorching 34-degree heat, both Medvedev and Rublev encountered significant challenges with the weather over the course of their grueling encounter. The World No. 3 was even forced to call for medical aid on more than one occasion.
During a changeover between games, Daniil Medvedev addressed the chair umpire and expressed his frustration regarding the delay in receiving medical attention despite his repeated shouts for the doctor.
"I said 'doctor.' I screamed 'doctor' three times," he told the chair umpire.
However, the chair umpire revealed a misunderstanding, disclosing that he had heard the Russian requesting water instead.
"I can't hear you from here. Doctor? I thought you said 'water,'" the chair umpire responded.
Daniil Medvedev appeared visibly frustrated as he shrugged after the umpire's response.
"The only good thing I see in these conditions is that both suffer" - Daniil Medvedev on 'brutal' playing conditions in US Open QF
Following his win over Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev commented on the "brutal" playing conditions. He stated that the only silver lining in the sweltering heat and humidity was that it had an equally adverse effect on both players.
"It was brutal. The only good thing I see in these conditions is that both suffer. It was tough for both of us. There were some ups and downs but that is so normal. At the end of the first set I sort of could not see the ball anymore. I played with sensations," he said in his on-court interview.
The former World No. 1 also disclosed that despite his efforts to exhaust Rublev, the 25-year-old remained resilient in the challenging conditions.
"I tried to go for it, tried to run and he did the same. Before points I was like, 'Wow, he can't run anymore', so I tried to go and make him run and run and run, but he was there all the time. But we were tired all the time. Brutal conditions and super tough to win," he added.
Daniil Medvedev awaits the winner of the match between Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals of the 2023 US Open.