Daniil Medvedev has been disqualified from the China Open after a ball he struck in frustration hit a spectator in the face during his semi-final against Novak Djokovic on Monday. The third seed was trailing 7-5 5-3 at the time, and the default sends Djokovic through to Tuesday’s final in Beijing against Alex de Minaur.
The trouble started when Djokovic fired a winner past the Russian to level the game at 15-15. As the ball came back off the rear of the court, Medvedev took an angry backhand swipe at it. It flew into the stand behind him and struck a man sitting in the front row, who bent over clutching his face and was later helped from the arena, still holding his eye. After talking with umpire Mohamed Lahyani and an ATP official, Medvedev walked to the net and shook hands with his opponent.
Medvedev said afterwards that he was “terribly sorry to the spectator” and that he was trying to reach the man so he could apologise in person. Djokovic, who was himself defaulted from the 2020 US Open over a similar incident, said he felt for both of them. “I know exactly how he feels to be disqualified in a big match,” the Serb said, adding that he was sure the ball had not been hit on purpose.
Defaults are rare in tennis and follow breaches of the code of conduct, such as ball, racquet or physical abuse. Players usually collect three code violations before a fourth brings disqualification, but officials judged Medvedev’s offence serious enough to default him on the spot. The 30-year-old loses the ranking points and prize money he earned in Beijing. It is the latest flashpoint for a player with a long record of on-court outbursts. He was fined almost £31,500 ($42,500) for his behaviour at last year’s US Open after a photographer walked on court, and was penalised again in April for smashing a racquet after a 6-0 6-0 defeat at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Djokovic, 39, had been playing well before the match ended, saving 16 of the 18 break points he faced. He has a 33-0 record at the China Open, where he has won the title six times, and Tuesday will be his first final since he lost to Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open. Alcaraz, meanwhile, recovered from losing 16 consecutive points to beat Jaume Munar 5-7 6-3 6-1 in the Japan Open semi-finals and will play Jiri Lehecka for the title.
