Medvedev disqualified from China Open semi after ball hits fan

Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from his China Open semi-final against Novak Djokovic in Beijing on Monday after a ball he hit struck a spectator in the eye.

He trailed 7-5, 5-3 at the time. No more points were played. Djokovic advanced to the final by default. At 5-3 in the second set, Djokovic stood one game from a straight-sets win.

The incident happened after Medvedev lost a point and swiped at the ball as it came back off the wall at the back of the court. Medvedev had to win that second set to force a decider, the third set that would have settled the match. Instead the ball flew into the stands and struck a fan sitting in the first row. The spectator grabbed his left eye, appeared to be in pain and walked out with help from stadium staff, The Guardian reported.

Djokovic said he was shocked and hoped the spectator was not badly injured. He said he felt sorry for Medvedev because he knows what a disqualification in a big match feels like. Djokovic was thrown out of the 2020 US Open in similar circumstances after hitting a ball that struck a line judge, the official who calls balls in or out. He said he did not believe Medvedev acted intentionally.

Medvedev, a former world No. 1, had reached the semi-finals with a 7-6(4), 6-3 win over Francisco Cerundolo. That first set needed a tiebreak, the first-to-seven shootout used when a set reaches 6-6, which Medvedev took 7-4. Djokovic earned his place by beating Alexander Zverev, Reuters reported, with Zverev the top seed, the player placed at the head of the draw to keep the highest-ranked names apart early, AFP reported.

Djokovic is playing the China Open again after an 11-year absence. He arrived in Beijing after a first-round exit at the US Open, Reuters reported. A deep run here changes that story fast.

Earlier on Monday, the other semi-final also ended early. Alex de Minaur led Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 3-2 when Hurkacz retired with an adductor injury, the muscle problem high in the leg. Hurkacz had struggled with his movement throughout the match. De Minaur will now meet Djokovic for the title.

What makes this stand out is the echo. Six years ago Djokovic left New York in the same way, stunned and sorry. He recognised it at once in Beijing. One frustrated swing. A painful accident. A match over.