'Good luck' butterfly can't help Daniil Medvedev avoid early Shanghai exit

Float like a butterfly, sting like ... Daniil? Defending champion Daniil Medvedev was visited by butterfly in his opening match at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

Second-seeded Medvedev, the winner in 2019 when the ATP last played in Shanghai, kicked off his tournament with a 6-3, 6-3 win Saturday over Chile's Cristian Garin, But with Medvedev leading 6-3, 2-0, 40-0 on serve, he nearly played a point of Canadian doubles when a butterfly landed squarely on his back.

After the insect floated around him for a brief moment, despite Medvedev's best efforts to wave it away, it landed on the tennis ball he intended to serve with. Medvedev proceeded to hand the ball off to the ball kid, and the butterfly was safely removed from court.

Later, a local reporter informed Medvedev that butterflies are considered a traditional symbol of good luck in China.

"It was pretty funny because I think butterflies are beautiful, but in a way, I'm a little bit, not scared of insects, but I don't like when they go on me," Medvedev said afterwards.

"So I was a little bit, like, I know it cannot do anything to me, but I was like, 'OK, what I would do in here,' and then when it sat on the ball, that was actually pretty funny because I could give it to the ball boy and, yeah, [it was a] funny moment.

"I don't think ever happened to me, and if it brings good luck, perfect for me, I'm happy about it."

Unfortunately for Medvedev, his good luck wore out in the second round. He was upset by American Sebastian Korda in straight sets on Sunday, ensuring that Shanghai this year will have a new champion.