{"id":66542,"date":"2025-08-30T17:47:22","date_gmt":"2025-08-30T20:47:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/against-the-odds-by-ben-rothenberg\/"},"modified":"2025-08-30T17:47:22","modified_gmt":"2025-08-30T20:47:22","slug":"against-the-odds-by-ben-rothenberg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/en\/against-the-odds-by-ben-rothenberg\/","title":{"rendered":"Against the Odds – by Ben Rothenberg"},"content":{"rendered":"

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NEW YORK <\/strong>\u2014 Leandro Riedi, a 23-year-old Swiss qualifier ranked 435th, missed a forehand long down break point in the fourth set of his second round match on Thursday afternoon at the U.S. Open, and unleashed a torrent of annoyed Swiss German, his native language.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

As he sat down in his chair, his concentration on his own misery was broken by a spectator sitting across from him on Court 5, screaming a non-stop stream of encouragement toward him. This man had been loudly cheering for Riedi throughout the match; he had also been cheering vociferously at Riedi\u2019s first round match.<\/p>\n

The man was trying to be positive, but Riedi thought he could see through his motives.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeandro, one at time! One at a time, Leandro! Don\u2019t let them get to\u2014\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cMan, shut up!\u201d Riedi barked.<\/p>\n

Riedi then turned and looked up toward chair umpire Scotty Moore to explain why he had reacted that way toward an apparent supporter.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s just betting for me,\u201d Riedi said. \u201cAnd now, if I lose, he will text me. He\u2019s one of these guys. Get him off. I don\u2019t want to see this guy. If I lose, he\u2019s texting me: \u2018You\u2019re so bad, I hope your mother dies.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Moore got on his telephone after Riedi\u2019s request, but according to the USTA, the chastised fan left Court 5 of his own accord before needing to be formally ejected. <\/p>\n

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Leandro Riedi at the 2025 U.S. Open. (Manuela Davies\/USTA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

After the match, I asked Riedi how he could sense when a fan in the stands has a financially vested in his victory and has decided to put their mouth where their money is. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou can definitely see it immediately,\u201d Riedi told <\/span>Bounces<\/em>. \u201cI’ve experienced it enough now. I saw he was already at the first round, and he was <\/span>screaming<\/em> my name after the first point. I was like, \u2018Wow, that’s a guy who’s betting, for sure.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Riedi said that it was as he was getting closer to defeat on Thursday that he became fed up with fickle fandom, and made it clear how much he associates gambling with the angry messages from aggrieved gamblers that fill his direct message inbox after each loss, as happens for nearly all tennis players.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the fourth set I was still behind and I was like: if I lose this match he will text me and say how bad I am and wish my mother dies,\u201d Riedi repeated. \u201cSo I was, like, no, this guy can’t be here, I don’t want to see that guy. And then he’s pushing me and then if I lose he’s going to text me. That’s why I just said, \u2018Can you please go? I don’t need this now.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

With the loudest member of the crowd gone, Riedi carried on and completed a remarkable comeback victory, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 over 19th-seeded Francisco Cerundolo.<\/p>\n

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