Rinderknech Furious in Shanghai: "You Let Him Do Whatever He Wants, It's Crazy!"

In a stifling atmosphere in Shanghai, Arthur Rinderknech made it through the first round of the Masters 1000... but not without getting fired up. His opponent, Hamad Medjedovic, repeatedly interrupted the match before retiring, provoking the Frenchman's intense anger.

It was supposed to be a simple first round. Instead, it turned into a tense, sweaty, and electric showdown. In Shanghai, Arthur Rinderknech did secure his ticket to the second round of the Masters 1000, but not in the way he had hoped. Facing the young Serbian Hamad Medjedovic, the Frenchman experienced a choppy, interrupted, and deeply frustrating match.

Under the closed roof of the court, the humidity turned every rally into a physical battle. And while Rinderknech seemed ready to fight, his opponent showed signs of weakness early on. Back pain, foot discomfort, sweating issues... Medjedovic was clearly hampered. But instead of conceding, the Serbian took multiple medical timeouts (up to fourteen minutes of interruptions in total), disrupting the rhythm and greatly irritating the Frenchman.

At 5-4 in the first set, when Medjedovic left the court for over 7 minutes due to an alleged slippery surface hazard, Arthur Rinderknech exploded. He confronted the supervisor with a statement that resonated like a thunderclap: A cold anger, barely contained by the Frenchman, who still lost the first set in a tie-break after his opponent strung together... 7 consecutive points.

But at the start of the second set, Medjedovic could no longer continue. Clearly at his limit, he retired after losing the first game. An outcome that left a bitter taste for Rinderknech, for whom the victory was anything but euphoric. At the end of the match (1 hour 44 minutes including interruptions), the handshake was icy. A few tense words were exchanged. And this statement, uttered by the Frenchman as he left the court, summed it all up: "I feel as bad as you, but you're still young."

Rinderknech will face American Alex Michelsen in the next round.