Daniil Medvedev was defaulted from the China Open semifinal after he struck a spectator in the face with a tennis ball. The incident occurred as Medvedev trailed Novak Djokovic 7-5, 5-3 in their match when frustration boiled over.
After Djokovic hit a winner that brought the score to 15-15, the ball bounced off the back of the court. Medvedev, clearly annoyed, swiped at a backhand, sending the ball flying into the front row of the stands behind him. A fan was hit in the face and doubled over, clutching his eye while being helped out of the arena.
The umpire Mohamed Lahyani and an ATP official spoke with Medvedev before the Russian approached the net to shake hands with Djokovic. Medvedev’s default handed Djokovic the victory and a place in the final.
Djokovic, who himself was defaulted from the 2020 US Open for hitting a line judge with a ball, expressed sympathy for both the injured fan and Medvedev. “It's a bit of a shock to be honest. I hope that person is not badly injured,” he said. “I also feel sorry for Daniil. I know exactly how he feels to be disqualified in a big match. I am sure that Daniil did not want to do this intentionally.”
The China Open semifinal ended abruptly, with Medvedev’s disqualification echoing Djokovic’s own high-profile default three years earlier at Flushing Meadows. There was no immediate update on the condition of the spectator taken from the stands. Djokovic will now await his opponent in the final after the unexpected conclusion to the match.
According to BBC Sports.