Daniil Medvedev makes ‘lucky’ admission after huge Laver Cup controversy
Daniil Medvedev has admitted he was potentially “lucky” to avoid a default in his tense Laver Cup clash against Ben Shelton on Sunday.
Team World star Shelton rallied from a set down to defeat Medvedev 6-7(6), 7-5, [10-7] in the second match of Day 3, though it was not the quality of tennis or the closeness of it that got most people talking.
Instead, a controversial incident concerning the world No 5 towards the end of the first set attracted the most attention.
After sending a forehand long to fall 6-4 down in the first set tiebreak, the former world No 1 dramatically threw his racket across the court, appearing to land in or near the stands.
Medvedev was handed a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct by umpire Mo Lahyani but the incident shocked Shelton, and Team World’s Frances Tiafoe appeared to speak to the tournament supervisors regarding the incident.
The Russian regained his composure to win the next four points and the set, though conceded after the match he was lucky that no one was directly affected by the incident.
“I didn’t mean to throw my racquet the way I did,” said Medvedev.
“I mean… I meant to throw it in one place, which is a bad move on my part. I was lucky, that’s true. I didn’t hit anyone. And when you don’t hit anyone, you’re not disqualified. That’s all.
“But I think I shouldn’t have done that.”
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The incident capped off what was ultimately a difficult and disappointing Laver Cup for Medvedev on an individual level.
He lost both his matches from a set up, falling to Tiafoe in a 10-point tiebreak on Saturday before a similar loss to Shelton on Sunday.
However, those results proved immaterial in the long run, with Team Europe able to turn the tables and ultimately lift the title.
Victory for Alexander Zverev over Tiafoe – from a set and a break down – forced a deciding rubber between Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz, which the former won 6-2, 7-5 to seal a dramatic triumph.
It was the fifth time in seven tournaments that Team Europe had lifted the title, with Bjorn Borg’s recapturing the title after back-to-back losses in 2022 and 2023.
It is also the second time in as many appearances that Medvedev has triumphed in the team event, having made his debut back in 2021 – the last time Europe had triumphed until now.
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