PARIS: Daniil Medvedev beat Tomas Machac in a marathon French Open third-round match on Saturday but chair umpire Damien Dumusois also received plaudits on Court Suzanne-Lenglen when he rescued an ailing pigeon.
During a changeover in the fourth set of a match played under the roof, the bird landed on the clay surface in front of Medvedev’s seat, flapping its wings but seemingly unable to fly.
“I hope the bird was okay. It was not looking good. I think maybe something (wrong) with the wing,” Medvedev said.
“But I was like, oh my God, if it gives me an extra minute to breathe, it would be perfect and it did.
“The referee did a good job. He was very gentle… I hope the bird is fine.”
The umpire climbed down from his chair to remove the bird with a towel.
The pigeon attempted to escape his clutches by hopping away, but he managed to catch the bird and hand it on to another tournament official as the spectators applauded him warmly.