Djokovic advances to China Open final after Medvedev default

Daniil Medvedev was defaulted from the China Open semi-finals on Monday after a ball he hit accidentally struck a spectator. The incident sent Novak Djokovic into the final, where he will face Australian No. 1 Alex de Minaur on Tuesday.

The Russian, 30, was trailing the Serbian 24-time major winner 7-5, 5-3 with Djokovic serving at 15-15. After failing to reach a Djokovic winner, the ball rebounded off the backboard. Medvedev then struck it, sending it into the face of a fan in the front row. The fan clutched his eye in pain and was taken away from the court. Chair umpire Mohammed Lahyani, after discussion with an ATP official, defaulted Medvedev. The decision ended Medvedev's Beijing campaign and handed Djokovic a place in the final.

Medvedev's apology and regret

Daniil Medvedev expressed deep remorse immediately after the incident. He emphasized the action was entirely accidental and offered to apologize in person. "Terribly sorry to the spectator, first of all," Medvedev said. "I’m trying to get in touch with him, if he wants it."

He explained the ball was bouncing back and he tried to hit it anywhere to keep it in the court area. When he saw the result, he felt horrible. Medvedev stated he did not believe he had ever been close to such a situation before. The most important thing, he said, was that the spectator was okay. He hoped to apologize in person and see how the fan felt. Medvedev stressed it was 100 percent an accident, noting that ball abuse is not typically his thing.

Djokovic's reaction and comparison

Novak Djokovic expressed shock and concern for the injured spectator. He also drew a direct parallel to his own disqualification from the 2020 US Open. It's a bit of a shock to be honest, I hope that person is not badly injured, Djokovic said.

He did not believe Medvedev had deliberately tried to hurt anyone. Djokovic said he felt sorry for his opponent because he knows how it feels to be disqualified in a big match. The default is strikingly similar to Djokovic’s own at the 2020 US Open. During his fourth-round match against Pablo Carreño Busta in that event, Djokovic accidentally struck a line judge with a ball, resulting in his default.

Path to the final

The default sets up a China Open final between Novak Djokovic and Alex de Minaur. Djokovic advances without completing the semi-final match. He will now prepare to face the Australian in Tuesday's championship match.