Daniil Medvedev reached the US Open third round despite an unusual interruption when two birds settled on the net during a second-set rally. Play continued for several strokes before the chair umpire ordered the point replayed, a call that visibly irritated the seventh seed but did not alter the outcome.
The 30-year-old produced a composed performance around the incident, winning 6-1 6-3 7-5 over American wildcard Sebastian Gorzny, the world number 731. Medvedev had wrapped up the opening set in just 21 minutes and closed out the match in straight sets, ensuring he remains in New York for at least another week.
Medvedev remonstrated on court, saying, "This is very bad," when the point was replayed. In his on-court interview he described the confusion, "I saw [the birds] straight away. I thought the point would stop straight away but it didn't. Then we play for 45 seconds and the moment I hit the winner we say stop. I'm like, 'Why? We played for 45 seconds!'." He added, "But it's okay. I was not happy with the decision but it is was it is. You can't do anything with it. The situation was pretty crazy but I love this court, I'm happy to win, to stay in the US Open, to stay in New York for longer."
Medvedev's temperament has drawn attention before, including a near-£31,500 fine for a meltdown during his first-round defeat to Benjamin Bonzi at last year's US Open. He also reflected publicly after a recent loss at the Winston-Salem Open, musing, "maybe I should start a career in pickleball." Those episodes frame the scrutiny on his reactions, but they did not prevent a routine victory here.
Gorzny was making his Grand Slam debut at Flushing Meadows after earning a main-draw spot through the USTA American Collegiate Player Wildcard Playoff in June. His journey to the tour has extraordinary backstory: at 15 he suffered a seizure at the USTA Boys' 16s National Championships in Michigan, was placed in an induced coma for four days and was given a 5% chance to live. "The doctors aren't really sure what it was actually, but they're guessing a mosquito bite that led to some type of brain infection: meningitis, encephalitis," Gorzny told the ATP before the US Open.
Medvedev will meet Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech in the third round. The win also matters in a broader context, Medvedev has advanced to the second week of a major only once in seven tournaments since reaching the US Open quarter-finals in 2024, making this progression significant for his Grand Slam momentum.
