A moment of frustration has cost Daniil Medvedev dearly. The Russian’s China Open campaign ended in devastating fashion on Monday when he was disqualified from his semi-final clash against Novak Djokovic after inadvertently striking a spectator with a ball, a gut-wrenching conclusion to what had been an absolute war on the Beijing hardcourt.
The incident that changed everything
The incident unfolded late in the second set with Djokovic serving for the match at 7-5, 5-3. After failing to return a point, Medvedev watched the ball bounce off the back wall and, in a moment he’ll desperately want to forget, unleashed a backhand that sent the ball rocketing into the stands. A male spectator seated behind Medvedev’s side of the court was struck, immediately clutching his face before being escorted from his seat by tournament officials. The chair umpire had no choice but to halt proceedings and invoke the disqualification.
“Terribly sorry to the spectator, first of all,” a visibly shaken Medvedev told reporters afterwards, his remorse palpable. “It was 100 percent an accident and I wish to apologise to the fan in person.”
The world number five attempted to explain the split-second decision that ended his tournament. “The ball was bouncing back, so I tried to, like, just hit it anywhere, so it doesn’t go out from the court,” he said.
A battle of attrition
Before the unfortunate conclusion, this semi-final had been an absolute grind. Djokovic, red-faced and hunched over between points, was forced to dig deep into his reserves as both players engaged in gruelling rallies that had the Beijing crowd on the edge of their seats.
The 39-year-old Serbian legend produced a masterclass performance, saving a staggering 16 break points across the match. His court coverage was vintage Djokovic, diving at the baseline, sprinting to the net, refusing to concede an inch of real estate. After wrestling control in the second set, the 24-time Grand Slam champion was just three points away from closing out the match when the disqualification occurred.
Djokovic’s empathy
“I didn’t see what happened, to be honest,” Djokovic told the stunned crowd immediately after the incident. “I’m sure that Daniil didn’t do it intentionally. It happened by accident. Sorry for the crowd.”
Djokovic later referenced his own disqualification from the 2020 US Open, when he accidentally struck a line judge with a ball in similar circumstances. “I know the feeling,” he said. “It’s horrible… but it happens.”
Despite the anti-climactic ending, the 11th-ranked Djokovic acknowledged he’d been made to work for the victory. “I got lucky in a very exhausting battle,” he admitted. “Victory wouldn’t have come easy.”
The disqualification gifts Djokovic passage to Tuesday’s final, where he’ll face Australia’s Alex de Minaur, currently ranked world number nine, for the China Open title. For the Serbian, it’s another opportunity to add to his already glittering trophy cabinet as he continues to defy Father Time in the twilight of his illustrious career.
