By Julien Pretot
PARIS (Reuters) – Daniil Medvedev had no regrets after being knocked out in the first round of the French Open, showing more relief that his claycourt season was finally over.
The red dirt is the world number two’s least favourite surface even though the Russian won the Rome Masters in the run-up to Roland Garros, and Medvedev made it even clearer on Tuesday after losing 7-6(5) 6-7(6) 2-6 6-3 6-4 to Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild.
“Every time it (the claycourt season) finishes I’m happy. So I’m happy. I’m happy again. Doesn’t matter, one time quarters, one time fourth round, a lot of times first round,” Medvedev told reporters.
“Today because of the wind and the dry court, I had my mouth full of clay since probably the third game of the match, and I don’t like it. I don’t know if people like to eat clay, to have clay in their bags, in their shoes, the socks, white socks, you can throw them to the garbage after the clay season. Maybe some people like it. I don’t.”
Medvedev also had a brief argument with the court Philippe Chatrier crowd, ending up shushing them as he was discussing a line call with the chair umpire.
“It was fine. The only thing came when I asked the umpire to check a mark that was pretty close, in my opinion,” he explained.
“I was just discussing with her like where does she see the ball in, and getting booed for whatever reason. I just told them to shut up, and that’s it. Because I was discussing with another person, not with them, so they should shut up at this moment.”
Medvedev hoped his opponent would go far in the tournament to soothe the pain of defeat.
“If he continues to play that way, my opinion, end of the year, he’s top 30. But last time I said something like this about someone, he didn’t manage to do it,” he said with a smile.
“But great for him to play like this today. I honestly hope he’s going to play like this later on, because if not, I’m going to be disappointed.
“I’m going to be like, ‘why today? Why not in two days?'”
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
