Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics:Â Tennis
Marcus Chan
Daniil Medvedev had a bizarre incident involving a ball girl during his match against Learner Tien at the Shanghai Masters.
Last week, Medvedev and Tien faced off at the China Open in Beijing, with the Russian forced to retire after suffering from cramp.
On Wednesday, the pair shared the court again as they met in the round of 16 at the ATP1000 event in Shanghai.
This time around, 16th seed Medvedev came out on top, winning 7-6 (8-6), 6-7 (1-7), 6-4 in three sets.
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During the match, Medvedev suffered cramps again, and during a changeover, he issued a bizarre request to the chair umpire while receiving a massage from the physio.
The 29-year-old said: "Sorry can I ask the ball girl to remove my shirt, I'm cramping here. I need to change my shirt."
As per the Daily Mail, the chair umpire replied: "If someone is happy to do it," to which Medvedev said: "I can try, but I am cramping."
In the end, ATP supervisor Gerry Armstrong lent a helping hand and removed Medvedev's sweat-soaked shirt.
Over the last two weeks, the main talking point has been the weather conditions in China, with players such as Novak Djokovic and Emma Raducanu seen struggling on court.
Speaking earlier in the week, Danish star Holger Rune urged the ATP to take drastic action and introduce a new rule.
He said: "Why doesn't the ATP have a heat rule? You want a player to die on the court?"
In a statement to The Guardian after Rune's comments, an ATP spokesperson said: "Under ATP rules, decisions regarding the suspension of play due to weather conditions – including extreme heat – lie with the on-site ATP supervisor, in coordination with on‑site medical teams and local authorities.
"In parallel, the ATP medical services team implements several measures in cases of extreme heat, to help protect player health during competition.
"This remains under active review and additional measures including the implementation of an official heat policy are currently being evaluated in consultation with players, tournaments, and medical experts. Player safety remains a top priority for the ATP."