Medvedev disqualified from China Open semi after hitting ball into crowd

Beijing witnessed an unexpected turn of events at the China Open semi-finals as Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev was disqualified for hitting a ball into the crowd. The incident transpired when Medvedev, ranked fifth in the world, was in the midst of a grueling 7-5 5-3 loss to Novak Djokovic. The 27-year-old Russian had just lost a point when his shot ricocheted off the wall and struck a spectator sitting in the first row, causing them to clutch their left eye and walk out of the gallery, supported by stadium staff.

In a statement, Djokovic, who had also been disqualified from the US Open in 2020 for a similar offense, expressed his shock and concern for the spectator's well-being. He empathized with Medvedev, acknowledging the frustration of being disqualified in a high-stakes match. "I was shocked, to be honest... I hope that person is not badly injured," Djokovic remarked.

"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."

The unfortunate incident forced both semi-finals to conclude prematurely in Beijing. Earlier in the day, Hungarian tennis player Hubert Hurkacz had to withdraw from his match due to an adductor injury. Australian Alex de Minaur, leading the first semi-final 6-4 3-2, was also forced to retire when his Polish opponent, struggling with movement throughout the match, decided to withdraw.