Novak Djokovic said he felt sorry for Daniil Medvedev after the Russian was disqualified from their China Open semi-final for accidentally hitting a fan with a ball. Medvedev endured a difficult afternoon against the Serbian, who claimed the opening set 7-5 and looked firmly in control as tensions began to rise.
Match ends in default
The contest was abruptly brought to an end with Djokovic leading 7-5, 5-3 after Medvedev accidentally hit a ball into the crowd. The 30-year-old was seen in discussion with officials as the spectator struck by the shot remained seated with his hands covering his face.
The fan later left the arena appearing visibly uncomfortable, prompting the referee to default Medvedev and end the match. Djokovic will now progress to Tuesday's final, where he is set to take on Alex de Minaur.
Djokovic's reaction
Speaking afterwards, Djokovic said: "A bit of a shock to be honest. Sorry for the person, I honestly didn't see what happened."
"I hope the person is not badly injured. On the other hand, I also feel sorry for Daniil. I know exactly how it feels to be disqualified. In a big match I was disqualified back in 2020 at the US Open for similar circumstances."
"I'm sure that Daniil did not want to do this intentionally. It just happens. I was three points away from the win. It was a gruelling battle. I definitely didn't want to take this battle to a third set."
Looking ahead
Djokovic continued: "It was looking like that. I saved I don't know how many break points. It was crazy. I don't know. It always is a big battle with Daniil. It's so hard to play him when he's feeling the ball well in slower conditions and big serve. But yeah, we move on."
