Daniil Medvedev gives amusing response to match being delayed by pigeon at French Open
Daniil Medvedev couldn't continue playing until a rogue pigeon was caught during his French Open match.
Daniil Medvedev had an amusing reaction to a pigeon that caused a brief delay in his third-round match at the French Open. The world No. 5 and his opponent Tomas Machac got longer to sit down at the changeover when the umpire ran after the bird and caught it.
It's not the first time a bird has landed on Court Suzanne-Lenglen this week. And the Russian was happy to wait for as long as it took to remove the pigeon after playing an intense game.
Medvedev closed out the match a few minutes later and advanced to the fourth round with a 7-6(4) 7-5 1-6 6-4 victory.
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Pigeons have been all over the place on the second-biggest show court at the French Open. One swooped in when Dan Evans faced Holger Rune in the first round. And on Friday, court attendants had to clear away the body of a bird that hit the roof and landed on the clay.
Chair umpire Damien Dumusois was keen to avoid a repeat of that incident as he chased after a pigeon that appeared to be injured and was sitting on the court during a changeover in the fourth set of Medvedev's match against Machac. The fearless Frenchman approached the bird with a towel and scooped it into his arms, carrying it over to someone else who safely removed it.
Medvedev later shared his reaction to the bizarre incident and had an amusing answer, as he explained why the brief interruption benefitted him. "In this moment it was really good for me because in Grand Slams you have less time on the bench," the former world No. 1 said.
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"I think it's 1:15. Where in ATP tournaments it's 1:30. It's just 15 seconds, but throughout the five sets you can feel [the difference in] this 15 seconds."
Medvedev shared his concern for the bird, though he thought it was a good thing that the pigeon allowed him to get some extra rest after playing a marathon game with six deuces, saving three break points. He continued: "So we had a crazy game before this happened, and so it was a moment when time should be called.
"When I saw it, well, I hope the bird was okay. It was not looking good. I think maybe something with the wing. But I was like, oh my God, if it gives me extra minute to breath, it would be perfect, and it did. For me it was a good moment."
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The 28-year-old also denied suggestions that it was a distraction, adding: "I don't think something like this can really distract us, but again, give some extra moment to breathe was good. Maybe it was the same for Tomas."
And he was intrigued to know what happened next after commenting the umpire for his quick reaction. "The referee did a good job. He was very gentle. I think important. I hope the bird is fine. Maybe they take it to the vet clinic or something. I don't know. We need to ask what happened after," he grinned.
