Djokovic advances to China Open final as Medvedev out for hitting fan with ball

AFP | Beijing

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Novak Djokovic advanced to the China Open final yesterday after Daniil Medvedev was disqualified in the second set, when a ball that came off the Russian’s racquet hit a spectator.

A man sitting in the stands behind Medvedev’s side of the court was seen holding his face after being hit, as Djokovic was serving for the match with the score at 7-5, 5-3.

Eleventh-ranked Djokovic will play world number nine Alex de Minaur for the title on Tuesday in Beijing.

The Australian had advanced over Hubert Hurkacz after the 29-year-old from Poland retired from their semi-final with an adductor strain.

Medvedev hit the ball with a backhand at the edge of the stands when he failed to return a point, with the chair umpire stopping play.

“Terribly sorry to the spectator, first of all,” he told reporters afterwards, adding it was “100 percent an accident” and that he wished to apologise to the fan in person.

It had been a physical battle before Medvedev’s disqualification.

A valiant Djokovic, 39, put on a dazzling performance and saved 16 break points, diving at the baseline and sprinting to the net.

“I didn’t see what happened, to be honest,” he told the crowd afterwards.

“I’m sure that Daniil didn’t... do it intentionally. It happened by accident. Sorry for the crowd,” he said, adding that it had been a tough match.

Djokovic was red-faced and hunched over between points, with both players forcing each other through gruelling rallies, until the Serbian took control in the second set.

Earlier in the women’s draw, former world number one Iga Swiatek staged a comeback to advance to the last 16, while home hope Zheng Qinwen survived another three-set test.

Swiatek overcame frustration to cling on as her opponent served for the set, dominating a must-win tie-break to beat Croatia’s Donna Vekic 4-6, 7-6 (7/0), 6-2.