Daniil Medvedev puts his hand to his ear, in his sauce because if the Russian likes something it is the sports fray and the environmental ruckus, and at that moment, as has been happening throughout the entire game against the young Alexander Shevchenko , listen to heavenly music for your ears. The stands at the Madrid headquarters boo him and whistle non-stop, partly because the tennis player reciprocates and at other times because he simply wants to throw him off center. The public goes with the boy, the weak one, and any moment is a good time to try to destabilize the giant, who wins (6-4, 6-1 and 7-5) and understands it, but up to a certain point. Madrid and Medvedev, Medvedev and Madrid, two old acquaintances.
It is not the first time that the disagreement has occurred. Two years ago, when Russia was crowned in the Davis Cup held at the Arena la Casa de Campo, the fans rebuked the Moscow player over and over again, who does not cower but goes into the rag with everything. Then he turned: Madrid, here I am. And he did it again yesterday, when the hostility crossed some borders that should not be crossed in a sport traditionally recognized for its neatness, as far as forms are concerned. Between point and point, also when serving, Medvedev had to manage shouts, voices and whistles at the wrong time, as the previous night had to do with the Danish Holger Rune – who did not help with his behavior either – and a few days before the American Mackenzie McDonald, hindered by the environment when he was measured with the Valencian Bernabé Zapata.
“I hit with my racket because I was disappointed by some mistakes, so they started booing,” introduced the world number three. “At that moment, maybe I deserved it, but later I asked for a review [del videoarbitraje] and they asked me again. What do they want, that I don’t do it, that I don’t claim? Maybe it happens because of the emotion, but as soon as something happens, they start to whistle without even knowing what is happening… I have experienced it and Novak [Djokovic] also, many players”, transmitted the tennis player, who also wanted to refer to what happened the previous morning, when Davidovich reduced Rune in a very tense climate, fueled by the two players and also by the fans of the Caja Mágica, where in no Rarely do you breathe an atmosphere more typical of soccer than of tennis.
”I watched the game without sound, because my daughter was sleeping in the next room, but you have to take into account when you deserve it and when you don’t. I don’t think Rune did anything yesterday, so it’s disappointing, ”he explained, not knowing that the television production had not captured the moment in which the Nordic erased the mark left by the ball in the service that sparked the controversy. “Thanks to that gesture, people have come to me much more,” argued Davidovich from Malaga.
“Let the tennis players play”
But beyond the ugly action of the Dane, the noise and the inappropriate interruptions that tried to throw Rune off center forced the chair umpire, Carlos Bernardes, to order several times. “In 20 years, I have not seen behavior like this,” lamented the Brazilian referee over the public address system. “It’s one in the morning and we all want to go to sleep; please, let the tennis players play, ”he requested in another message.
The Tennis Masters landed in Madrid in 2002 and during these two decades the city has been metabolizing it. However, the tradition and sacred codes internalized in the clubs have not completely settled in the headquarters of the San Fermín neighborhood. The sepulchral silence that prevails in most of the scenarios -except the US Open, which takes place under the parameters of a Show– contrasts with the decibels to which the Caja Mágica is accustomed, sometimes turned into a Bombonera – the boisterous stadium of the Argentine Boca Juniors – that goes too far when it comes to supporting their own.
“There has been a lot of talk about the bad behavior among the Spanish fans last night. Yesterday [por el domingo]the public did not understand what was happening [en referencia al episodio protagonizado por él y Davidovich]”, Rune transmitted through his social networks. “You cannot revoke an electronic decision [como demandaba el español]. And it took the referee and the supervisor a long time to explain it to my opponent. And they did not bother to communicate it to the stands. Next time, I’ll take a nap while they argue. But, personally, I have nothing against the Spanish. I hope to return to Madrid”, added the Dane, consumed by the incandescent Madrid boiler.
You can follow EL PAÍS Sports on Facebook and Twitteror sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.
Subscribe to continue reading
Read without limits
