Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev overcame a hostile crowd to secure a 7-6(7-1) 4-6 7-6(9-7) 6-4 win over Spaniard Feliciano Lopez in a tension-filled clash to book a spot in the last 16 of the US Open.

Medvedev, who was heartily booed by the crowd inside Louis Armstrong Stadium at every opportunity on Friday after giving them the middle finger, relied on his powerful serve to put away Lopez and keep alive his hopes for a maiden Grand Slam title.

Playing for the second consecutive day after rain wiped out a slew of Wednesday matches, Medvedev later told the crowd that their negative energy is what carried him to victory.

“The energy you are giving me right now I think it will be enough for my next (four) matches. The more you do this the more I will win for you. Thank you,” Medvedev said in his on-court interview through a chorus of boos.

“I want all of you to know when you are asleep tonight I won because of you.”

The crowd turned on Medvedev in the first set when he angrily snatched a towel from a ballperson’s hands.

Medvedev got an unsportsmanlike conduct code violation for the incident and when it was announced, the 23-year-old tossed his racquet toward the centre of the court before telling the umpire he does not belong in the chair.

The crowd resumed their booing of Medvedev and as he walked back to his chair he decided to hold up his middle finger close to the side of his head.

From there, the crowd were firmly behind Lopez and used every opportunity they could to boo Medvedev, including every time he double faulted or missed a routine shot.

“I paid for it the whole match but the crowd was electric,” Medvedev told reporters when asked about the inspiration he drew from the crowd.

“I needed to turn it into good energy and that’s why I won.”

Medvedev faces German qualifier Dominik Koepfer in the next round.