Frustrated Daniil Medvedev smashes on-court microphone and obliterates his racket after Paris Masters defeat to Alex de Minaur

Daniil Medvedev cut a sorry figure at the end of his second-round defeat at the hands of Alex de Minaur at the 2022 Paris Masters on Wednesday. He lost 4-6, 6-2, 5-7, and was visibly frustrated throughout the match.

While serving to stay in the first set, the Russian got broken to hand the Aussie the lead in the match. Walking towards his bench, Medvedev smashed a microphone on the chair umpire's chair, leading to a flurry of boos from the crowd.

Later, the 26-year-old obliterated his racket after losing the match. Medvedev lost the match by serving a double fault and then smashed his racket on the floor in full force as he walked up to shake hands with the Aussie.

Videos of both events were initially uploaded on social media but have since been removed by the broadcasters/tournament organizers as they were found to be flouting copyright issues.

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"In Vienna it was three times faster, so it was more difficult to get adjusted" - Daniil Medvedev after his defeat to Alex de Minaur

Daniil Medvedev in action at the 2022 Rolex Paris Masters

Speaking to the media after his defeat, Daniil Medvedev was asked if he felt tired after winning the title in Vienna on Sunday.

The Russian pointed out that winning a tournament before the Paris Masters gave him valuable match practice and explained how wins in opening matches act as a big confidence booster.

"Well, I had a lot of matches under my belt back-to-back, and it's never easy. The positive thing is that you feel confident. And my impression, if you win the first match of the week, that's where you really have a lot of feelings and you have a confidence boost for the next match," Daniil Medvedev said.

Mentioning how opening matches are usually the toughest, Medvedev felt De Minaur made things very difficult for him to win the match.

"But it's the first match that is the toughest. It was a tough match," he added. "Alex played very well. Had he played a bit less well, I would have won. But he made his job, you know, and he won."

During the presser, Medvedev was asked if he was surprised by the speed of the surface at the Paris Masters. In response, he lamented the constant change in the brand of tennis balls being used at ATP tournaments.

"As for the surface, well, the only pity is that there was a change of ball. We played Dunlop ATP in Vienna, we played Head here, and we are playing Dunlop in Turin," he explained. "It's a bit weird. But that was a discussion that took place 20 years ago. There are sponsors at stake so that's the way it is."

He revealed that the Vienna Open had a considerably faster surface in play, making it more challenging for him to acclimatize to the conditions.

"As for the surface, I played in Vienna in 2020, and I don't remember how it was. It was very fast, and I liked it. I don't care. I like it fast; I like it slow. It doesn't matter. But in Vienna it was three times faster, so it was more difficult to get adjusted," Daniil Medvedev said.