China Open: Daniil Medvedev defaulted from Novak Djokovic match after hitting spectator with ball
Tennis player Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from the China Open after accidentally hitting a spectator in the face with a ball. The incident occurred during his match against Novak Djokovic, leading to an immediate default under the sport's code of conduct.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the strict enforcement of player conduct rules in professional tennis and the potential for rare, match-ending disciplinary actions.
Figure caption, Watch: Medvedev disqualified after striking fan with ball
Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from the China Open after hitting a spectator in the face with a ball during his semi-final against Novak Djokovic.
Third seed Medvedev trailed Djokovic 7-5 5-3 when the Serb hit a winner beyond him for 15-15.
The ball ricocheted off the back of the court and Medvedev swiped at a backhand in annoyance, sending the ball into the air and hitting a spectator who was sitting in the front row of the stand behind him.
The fan doubled over holding his face and was still holding his eye as he was helped out of the arena.
After speaking with umpire Mohamed Lahyani and an ATP official, Russia's Medvedev approached the net to shake hands with Djokovic.
"Terribly sorry to the spectator, first of all," Medvedev said.
Also covering this story
2 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in