US Open crowd slammed for booing Daniil Medvedev on championship points
Newly minted major champion Daniil Medvedev had to contend with more than world No.1 Novak Djokovic during the final of the US Open today (AEST).
The 25-year-old Russian stunned the sport by downing Djokovic in straight sets and crushing the latter's dream of clinching the calendar-year Grand Slam.
But as he was serving for the championship in the third, the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd turned on the world No.2.
Medvedev had cruised to a 5-2 advantage in the third set and was serving for the match when he double faulted, allowing Djokovic to win that game and the next to liven up the contest before Medvedev eventually served out the set 6-4 to win the final.
Daniil Medvedev of Russia reacts as he plays against Novak Djokovic of Serbia. Getty
It was after that double fault when the US Open crowd turned feral, firstly cheering the serving error and then ruthlessly booing the younger player on all subsequent serves.
The incident came two years after Medvedev first went head to head with spectators at the same event, earning himself their wrath during a third-round victory over Feliciano Lopez. Medvedev later taunted the crowd by claiming, "your energy tonight gave me the win".
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This time around, the crowd clearly wanted to see history unfold and a Djokovic victory which would have taken him past Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer as the sport's most successful all-time male players. The trio are tied on 20 grand slam titles and a win at the US Open would have put Djokovic top of the list.
Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic share a laugh during the trophy presentation Getty
Medvedev brushed off the boos and held his nerve to serve out the match at the second time of asking, clinching it 6-4 6-4 6-4.
But other observers were not so relaxed about the scenes that unfolded inside the stadium at the critical point of the contest.
A number of experts and commentators took to Twitter to slam the behaviour of the spectators.
Medvedev acknowledged the hostile crowd and even apologised for raining on the Djokovic parade.
"Sorry for you fans and Novak because we all know what he was going for," Medvedev said on-court.
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