Sore loser Medvedev says sorry for throwing money at umpire’s chair

● Russian admits he ‘did a bad thing’ as he ends second-round defeat in disgrace

Stan Wawrinka’s conqueror Daniil Medvedev has apologised for throwing money at an umpire’s chair at the end of his second-round defeat to Ruben Bemelmans.

The Russian created one of the stories of the opening day of Wimbledon when he slayed three-time grand slam champion Wawrinka on Centre Court but courted controversy in the second round after losing in five sets to Belgium’s Bemelmans on Court 16.

Medvedev ended the match in disgrace as, after taking exception to some of the decisions by umpire Mariana Alves, he took coins out of his wallet and threw them at the foot of the umpire’s chair.

The 21-year-old insisted he was not insinuating Alves had been bribed and accepts his actions were wrong.

“I was disappointed with the result of the match,” he said. “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.

“It happens in the match, sometimes you are unhappy with the call. Sometimes it’s in your favour. It happens.

“I mean, as I said, I was just frustrated, so it has no meaning. I apologise for this.

“I haven’t thought about [the connotation]. And that’s not why I did it. I mean, it would be really stupid. As I said, it was stupid, but it was not like this.

“I didn’t count how many overrules there were and if they were on my side or on his side.

“Maybe in the match, during the match, I thought that it was a bit not in my favour. But right now I can just say that it happens everywhere, in every sport.

“Referees can make some 0 Daniil Medvedev: Asked for the umpire to be removed. mistakes. But me as a tennis player, I do some mistakes too. One of them was, for example, after the match. I just have to apologise.”

Medvedev lost 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3 but had been 2-0 up in the deciding set before letting it slip to trail 5-2 after he became angry at the decisions of Alves.

Alves docked him a point, with the Russian asking for her to be removed from her position – a request which was denied by the match supervisor. Medvedev said he cannot remember asking for Alves to be removed and is prepared to take any punishment that comes his way.

“I don’t actually remember what I said,” he insisted. “It was a long match and it was very hot out there. So I actually don’t remember what I said during the match.”

Asked if he was expecting a punishment, he added: “That’s not for me to decide also. If there will be, that’s my fault.

“I haven’t seen the umpire yet. If I see her I will apologise.”