"Made up with Stefanos Tsitsipas so he needed a new villain" - Daniil Medvedev's heated exchange with Holger Rune at Indian Wells amuses fans

Daniil Medvedev's heated exchange with Holger Rune during the pair's Indian Wells quarterfinal clash has left fans in splits.

Medvedev won the match 7-5, 6-4 to seal his place in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open. While the first set was mostly played in good spirits, things suddenly took a spicy turn in the very first game of the second set.

The controversial moment came after the Russian rushed towards the net to return a sliced drop shot from Rune. Medvedev played a drop shot of his own to counter the Dane. Rune ran towards the net as well and hit a fierce double-handed backhand that went straight into Medvedev's body.

Somehow, the Russian managed to keep the rally going, but Rune won the point after hitting a forehand. Medvedev was clearly displeased with the Dane. The Russian spent a few seconds leaning on the net, seemingly waiting for an apology from Rune.

However, no apology came his way from the 20-year-old. An irate Medvedev made his way back to the baseline after performing a gesture indicating that he was watching Rune.

Tennis fans on social media were rather amused by Medvedev's gesture. One user suggested that the Russian needs a new 'villain' after making up with Stefanos Tsitsipas. Medvedev had a rather bitter rivalry with the Greek before, but both of them have apparently left their personal differences behind them.

"He made up with Stefanos so he needed a new villain," the user wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Another user believed that Rune gets unjustified hate.

"Rune doesn't even do anything but still gets hated,"

Yet another user called Medvedev 'hilarious' for his gesture.

"Heating up, Daniil is actually so fucking hilarious,"

Here are some more reactions from fans who were amused by Medvedev's gesture:

Daniil Medvedev faces Tommy Paul next at Indian Wells

Medvedev's win over Rune has set him up for an Indian Wells semifinal showdown against Tommy Paul. ATP World No. 17 Paul downed Casper Ruud 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals.

The pair have clashed twice before. Their first meeting came in the second round of the 2021 French Open. Medvedev won the match 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3. At the time, Paul was ranked World No. 52.

Medvedev and Paul's next match came at the 2023 China Open. Again, it was the Russian that came out on top. This time around, it was a much more one-sided contest than their 2021 French Open second-round match. Medvedev won the match 6-2, 6-1.