Novak Djokovic has defended Daniil Medvedev after the Russian tennis star was disqualified from their semi-final clash at the China Open on Monday for hitting a fan with a ball.
Match ends in chaos
Medvedev struggled to match Djokovic's pace as the Serbian great took the first set 7-5, and his frustration was evident headed into the second. Tensions boiled over at 5-3 in Djokovic's favour, with Medvedev pelting his ball into the crowd in anger.
The 30-year-old was spotted speaking with an official, as a fan - who was hit by the wayward volley - sat in the stands with his hands over his face. The fan was then seen walking out of the arena, hunched over and seemingly in pain, before the referee called an end to the match.
Djokovic advances to final
Djokovic advanced to Tuesday's grand finale, where he will take on Alex de Minaur. The Serbian champion has since come out in defence of his opponent, though details of his comments were not specified in the original report.
