Rare event! Umpire hurries to rescue injured pigeon at French Open; Daniil Medvedev praises the effort

NEW DELHI: Daniil Medvedev progressed to the fourth round of the French Open after a gruelling four-set victory over qualifier Tomas Machac on Saturday.

The match, played under the closed roof of Court Suzanne-Lenglen, saw Medvedev eventually triumph 7-6(3) 6-4 6-3 6-4. However, the encounter was not without its unusual moments, as a distressed pigeon briefly halted play in the fourth set, prompting a compassionate intervention from chair umpire Damien Dumusois.


During a changeover with Medvedev leading 2-1 in the fourth set, a pigeon landed on the clay court near the Russian's chair. The bird appeared to be struggling, flapping its wings but unable to gain altitude.


This unexpected visitor caused a brief pause in the match, with Medvedev later commenting, "I hope the bird was okay. It was not looking good. I think maybe something (wrong) with the wing."

The delay, though unintentional, seemingly provided Medvedev with a welcome opportunity to catch his breath during the demanding match. "I was like, oh my God, if it gives me an extra minute to breathe, it would be perfect and it did," he admitted.


Recognizing the bird's distress, umpire Dumusois took it upon himself to assist. He descended from his chair and approached the pigeon cautiously, ultimately using a towel to carefully capture the bird.

The pigeon, attempting to break free, hopped away from Dumusois, but the umpire's persistence paid off as he successfully secured the bird and passed it to a tournament official waiting courtside.

This act of compassion drew warm applause from the spectators present on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, demonstrating appreciation for Dumusois' quick thinking and gentle handling of the situation.

While the pigeon incident provided a memorable anecdote, the primary focus remained on the on-court battle. Medvedev, despite facing a spirited challenge from Machac, ultimately proved too strong, securing victory after three hours and 22 minutes of play.

(Inputs from Reuters)