Novak Djokovic admits he was in a “bit of shock” after his match against Daniil Medvedev at the China Open ended in dramatic circumstances.
The two former world No 1s were involved in a humdinger in the semi-final in Beijing as they battered each other for two hours and 39 minutes before it all ended abruptly when Medvedev was defaulted.
The first set alone took nearly 80 minutes to complete with Djokovic getting a late break to take it 7-5 and the second set was also headed for the 80-minute mark when suddenly things went a little crazy.
While serving for the match at 7-5, 5-3 [15-15], Djokovic hit a winner and the ball ricocheted off the back wall back to Medvedev and the third seed instictively hit the ball into the crowd.
Unfortunately for the Russian, the ball hit a fan who was sitting in the front row in the stand behind him. The man was immediately attended to by medical personnel and was escorted out of court for further treatment.
ATP News
After a short consultation with an ATP official, chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani disqualified Medvedev for ball abuse as he was found to have “hit a ball dangerously or recklessly within the court”.
Medvedev accepted the decision and later issued an apology to the spectator and fans, but he will be stripped of his ranking points and prize money from the tournament.
Djokovic, meanwhile, will play in the final against Alex de Minaur on Tuesday as he looks to win a seventh China Open title and take his incredible record at the tournament to 34-0.
But he admitted on social media that that was not the way he wanted the match to end.
“Bit in shock after that one. An incredible battle, and grateful to be heading to another China Open final,” he started off in an Instagram post. “Most importantly, wishing the injured spectator a speedy recovery.
“Also sending my thoughts to @medwed33. I’ve been there. It’s a horrible way for a match to end.”
During his post-match press conference, Djokovic admitted he knows how Medvedev is feeling, as it was similar to his default from the 2020 US Open when he accidentally hit a line judge with a ball.
“I’m also feeling sorry for Daniil because I know the feeling. 2020 US Open for similar circumstances I was also disqualified,” he recalled.
“It’s horrible because I’m sure that Daniil didn’t have the intention of injuring anybody in the stands, but it happens.”
