Daniil Medvedev's US Open first-round clash descended into chaos late Sunday night when a bumbling photographer inadvertently entered the court and sparked a furious meltdown from the former world No. 1.
The controversial Russian, a previous US Open winner in New York, began his campaign against unseeded Frenchman Benjamin Bonz, but things took an ugly turn and ended in the early hours of the morning with Medvedev wildly smashing his racket at the side of the court.
Some of the most bizarre scenes in tennis history unfolded at the end of the third set when Bonzi was serving on match point, seconds away from a career-best win, only for a photographer to leave his position and stumble onto the court.
It appeared that the photographer had hoped to move into a new position to get the perfect shot of Bonzi celebrating the win, only to realise he'd got up too early and inadvertently disturbed proceedings.
Bonzi had served a fault on his first serve before the barely believable moment occurred, and the umpire then opted to give him a fresh chance at a first serve - much to the fury of Medvedev on the other side of the court.
'First serve. Ladies and gentlemen, because of the delay caused by an outside interference, first serve has been granted,' the umpire, American Gregory Allensworth, called.
00:00Donil Medvedev's US Open first round match turned chaotic Sunday night, when a photographer accidentally stepped onto the court at match point during his clash with Benjamin Bonzi, the photographer, aiming to capture a celebration shot as Bonzi was about to win, prematurely entered the court, causing a delay and prompting the chair umpire to grant Bonzi a redo on his first serve.
00:30This disruption ignited a furious meltdown from the former world number one, who angrily confronted the umpire and incited the crowd before smashing his racket in frustration. The bizarre scenes unfolded late into the night, transforming what seemed like a straightforward match into a tense five-set thriller. Despite Medvedev's efforts to rally, Bonzi ultimately secured the victory, sending the match into the early hours.
