Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from his China Open semi-final match against Novak Djokovic on Monday after striking a spectator in the eye with a rebounding ball, ending both semi-finals prematurely in Beijing.
The world No. 5 was trailing 7-5, 5-3 when he hit the ball as it came off the wall following a lost point. A spectator seated in the front row was struck in the left eye and clutched his face in apparent distress before being escorted from the venue by stadium personnel.
Medvedev had entered the semi-final on a seven-match winning streak after capturing the Hangzhou title, while Djokovic had defeated top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in his quarter-final, marking his seventh China Open semi-final and the 202nd semi-final of his career. The sixth seed held a 10-5 head-to-head advantage over Medvedev coming into the match.
Djokovic's Reaction to the Incident
Djokovic expressed sympathy for both the injured spectator and his opponent following the disqualification.
I was shocked, to be honest … I hope that person is not badly injured,said the Serbian champion.
On the other hand, I also feel sorry for Daniil because I know exactly how it feels to be disqualified in a big match … I'm sure that Daniil didn't want to do this intentionally.
Djokovic advanced to the final as a result of Medvedev's disqualification, where he will face Australian Alex de Minaur.
De Minaur Advances as Hurkacz Retires
The second semi-final also ended prematurely when Polish player Hubert Hurkacz retired with an adductor injury. De Minaur was leading 6-4, 3-2 when Hurkacz, who had experienced movement difficulties throughout the match, withdrew from the contest.
De Minaur's path to the final came after he defeated Hurkacz, who struggled physically during their encounter. The Australian will now face Djokovic in the championship match.
