Daniil Medvedev disqualified against Novak Djokovic after controversial fan incident
The Russian player was one game away from defeat against Djokovic in the China Open semi-finals
In a surprising turn of events at the China Open, Daniil Medvedev was defaulted from his semi-final match against Novak Djokovic following a controversial incident involving a fan. The Russian player had been leading 7-5, 5-3 with Djokovic serving for the match, when he mistakenly hit the ball into the face of a fan seated in the front row.
The fan, who had been struck in the eye, was immediately taken away from the court. Chair umpire Mohammed Lahyani, after consulting with an ATP official, ruled that Medvedev should be disqualified from the match. This incident bears a striking resemblance to Novak Djokovic's disqualification from the 2020 US Open, where the Serbian star hit a line umpire with the ball.
Djokovic expressed his sympathy for Medvedev and hoped that the fan was not badly injured. He also acknowledged the frustration of being disqualified in such a high-stakes match, emphasizing that he believes Medvedev did not intend to hit the fan deliberately. As a result of the default, Djokovic will now face Alex de Minaur in the final on Tuesday in Beijing.
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