TROLLED FINGER
Daniil tells crowd: Boos won it
Childish Daniil Medvedev flashed the middle finger at US Open fans then thanked them for booing him into the last 16. The brazen fifth seed got the better of Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 7- 6(7-1) 4- 6 7- 6(9-7) 6- 4 and a hostile crowd in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam crown. Those sitting inside the Louis Armstrong Stadium turned on the Russian in the first set when he angrily snatched a towel from a ballboy’s hands. That copped Medvedev an unsportsmanlike conduct code violation then when it was announced he tossed his racquet before telling the umpire he did not belong in the chair. The crowd returned to booing the 23-year-old and as he walked back to his chair he decided to hold up his middle finger to the side of his head.
When his gesture was shown on the replay screen, the crowd showered him with boos and the umpire gave him a talking-to.
“I cannot give you a code because of what I saw on the screen, I have to see it myself,” Damien Dumusois told him.
From then on, the crowd were behind Lopez – a doubles partner of Andy Murray – and used every chance they could to boo his rival, including each time he double faulted or missed a routine shot.
Not that it stopped Medvedev, who was playing for the second straight day after rain wreaked havoc on Wednesday’s schedule. Delivering a bizarre on- court interview through a chorus of boos, he said: “The energy you are giving me right now, it will be enough for my next matches.
“The more you do this, the more I will win for you. Thank you.
“I want all of you to know when you are asleep tonight I won because of you.”
German qualif ier Dominik Koepfer is up next and, while unsure whether the booing in the Big Apple will go on, the Russian suggested his antics would not.
Medvedev said: “I am working on myself and hopefully I will be better next time.”
That did not stop him being fined £ 7400 for unsportsmanlike conduct as well as a visible obscenity.
Jamie Murray’s time in New York continues after a 6-3 6- 4 win over Lithuanian Ricardas Brankis and Argentine Juan Ignacio Londero with his doubles partner Neal Skupski.
Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu showed she intends to be a formidable force as the 19-year-old steamrollered former world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki 6- 4 6- 4 in the third round.
And qualifier Taylor Townsend continued her remarkable run at Flushing Meadows with victory over Romanian Sorana Cirstea.
The American world No.116, who stunned Wimbledon champion Simona Halep in round three, beat Cirstea 7-5 6-2.