Medvedev disqualified from China Open for hitting spectator with a ball during match vs. Djokovic

BEIJING (AP) — Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from his semifinal against Novak Djokovic at the China Open after he hit a ball into the stands that struck a spectator in the front row on Monday.

The spectator was helped out of the arena holding a hand over his left eye.

Djokovic was serving for the match at 7-5, 5-3 when Medvedev hit the ball into the stands in apparent frustration.

After a forehand volley winner from Djokovic, the ball bounced off the advertising boards and back toward Medvedev, who smacked a backhand that sailed into the stands.

The spectator who was hit was helped away as Medvedev stood on the court watching.

The chair umpire and tournament supervisor came down onto the court to talk with Medvedev, who didn't appear to put up much of an argument with the disqualification. Medvedev then walked to the net and shook hands with Djokovic.

The incident was reminiscent of when Djokovic was kicked out of the 2020 U.S. Open for accidentally hitting a line judge in the throat with a ball.

“A bit of a shock, to be honest,” Djokovic said. “I honestly didn’t see what happened. I hope that person is not badly injured. On the other hand, I also feel sorry for Daniil, because I know exactly how he feels to be disqualified in a big match. ... I am sure that Daniil didn’t want to do this intentionally. It just happens.”

Medvedev has a history of on-court behavior issues. He was fined 6,000 euros ($7,000) for unsportsmanlike conduct after he smashed his racket seven times during a 6-0, 6-0 loss to Matteo Berrettini at the Monte Carlo Masters earlier this year.

Djokovic extends perfect record

Djokovic extended his perfect career record at the China Open to 33-0.

Aiming for a seventh China Open title in Tuesday’s final, Djokovic will face ninth-ranked Alex de Minaur, who advanced when Hubert Hurkacz retired due to an apparent injury midway through the second set of their semifinal.

It will be Djokovic’s second final of the year after losing to Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open.

With his ranking down to No. 11, this is the first time in eight years that Djokovic is playing a tournament without being in the top 10. It's also his first tournament since a first-round exit from the U.S. Open. The 39-year-old Serb rallied to beat top-seeded Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals on Sunday.

Against Medvedev, Djokovic was twice caught exceeding the time limit on the serve clock. After first receiving a warning, he was then stripped of his first serve on a crucial break point midway through the second set. But Djokovic still won the point.

Medvedev won only two of 18 break points as the pair of former No. 1s traded one grueling rally after another.

The match was at the 2 hour, 29-minute mark when Medvedev was defaulted.

“I was three points away from the win,” Djokovic said. “It’s always a big battle with Daniil and it’s so hard to play him when he’s feeling the ball well in slower conditions with a big serve. But we move on.”

De Minaur led 6-4, 3-2 when Hurkacz — who was barely able to run for balls in the second set — stopped playing.

The nature of Hurkacz’s injury was not immediately clear.

In the third round of the women’s tournament, which ends Sunday, six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek rallied past Donna Vekic 4-6, 7-6 (0), 6-2 and will next meet Iva Jovic, who beat Kamilla Rakhimova 6-1, 7-5.

Elina Svitolina beat Maria Sakkari 6-4, 7-5.

Coco Gauff eliminated 16-year-old Chinese wild card Sun Xinran 7-5, 6-1. Sun recently won the U.S. Open junior title.

Rybakina withdraws from Wuhan

U.S. Open champion Elena Rybakina withdrew from the upcoming Wuhan Open due to a foot injury.

On Saturday, Rybakina lost her first match with the No. 1 ranking when she was ousted in Beijing by No. 118 Alina Charaeva of Armenia in the second round.