RUSSIAN FIFTH SEED Daniil Medvedev was fined $9,000 (€8,187) on Saturday by the US Open after his unsportsmanlike remarks and obscene gesture in a Friday night triumph.

Medvedev defeated Spain’s Feliciano Lopez to reach the fourth round of the year’s last Grand Slam tournament at Flushing Meadows, a match in which he was issued a code violation early in the match for tossing a towel.

As he later walked to his chair, Medvedev lifted his middle finger to the side of his head away from the view of the chair umpire but not from stadium cameras, which showed the image on the stadium video screen.

While he was not issued a violation, the umpire only having seen the image on replay, Medvedev drew boos from the crowd the remainder of the night.

He later said the hostile atmosphere inspired him to victory.

Medvedev was fined $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and $4,000 for his obscene gesture.

“It was tough. I was in the heat of the moment and started losing the momentum. I don’t really remember but I paid for it the whole match after,” Medvedev said after the match.

It marked the third consecutive match with a fine for Medvedev, who was docked $7,500 from his first match and $2,500 from his second.

Even after subtracting $19,000 in fines, Medvedev will still pocket at least $261,000 (€237,000) in prize money by reaching the last-16 on the New York hardcourts.

Medvedev said he apologized to Lopez and his coach after the match, insisting his meltdown was in no way related to his opponent.

Asked whether the New York crowd would forgive him before his next match Sunday against German qualifier Dominik Koepfer, Medvedev replied he wasn’t sure.

“What I can say is that I’m working on myself and hopefully I will be better next time,” he said.

On the court, Rafael Nadal cruised into the last-16. 

Second seed Nadal, a three-time winner at Flushing Meadows, disposed of 170th-ranked South Korean qualifier Chung Hyeon 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, having benefited from three days off after a second-round walkover.

The Spaniard improved his record here against players outside the top 50 to 35-1 and will meet 2014 champion Marin Cilic or top US hope John Isner for a place in the quarter-finals.

“I’m happy to be in the fourth round for one more time. It was a good match,” said Nadal, who quit with injury against Juan Martin del Potro during last year’s semi-final.

Rafa Nadal celebrates his straightforward win over Hyeon Chung. Eduardo Munoz Alvarez Eduardo Munoz Alvarez

“I’m trying to play a little bit more aggressive and a little bit less than before.”

“It’s true last year I had some tough matches. You never know what’s better or worse,” he said of his serene progress this week.

“In the fourth round I have a tough opponent and need to be ready for this. I can’t think further than that.”

Canadian teenager Andreescu, seeded 15th, brushed past two-time US Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-4 to extend her best Grand Slam run.

The 19-year-old, a winner at Toronto and Indian Wells this season, improved to 30-4 for the year despite missing much of the clay and grass portion with a shoulder injury.

“I think everything is just clicking with me,” said Andreescu, into the second week of a major for the first time.

“I’ve been through a lot with injuries and have just taken everything I’ve learned from the past couple of years and brought it into this year.”

Tonight’s primetime clash on Ashe pits 15-year-old American Coco Gauff, who made a fourth-round Wimbledon run in her Grand Slam debut, against 21-year-old Japanese star Naomi Osaka, the reigning US and Australian Open champion.

“I definitely think it’s the future of women’s tennis,” 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams said of the clash. “And I’m really excited to just be a fan girl and kind of watch.”

© – AFP 2019