Medvedev defaulted for hitting spectator with ball

Daniil Medvedev was defaulted from the China Open after striking a spectator with a ball during his semifinal against Novak Djokovic. In the third set, Medvedev trailed Djokovic 7-5, 5-3 when Djokovic hit a winner beyond him to make the score 15-15. The ball ricocheted off the back of the court and Medvedev, frustrated, swiped at a backhand, sending the ball aloft where it hit a spectator seated in the front row behind him. The spectator doubled over, clutching his eye, and remained holding his eye as he was assisted out of the arena. After consulting umpire Mohamed Lahyani and an ATP official, Medvedev approached the net to shake hands with Djokovic. Djokovic, who had been defaulted from the 2020 US Open for a similar incident, expressed sympathy for the spectator and for Medvedev. "It's a spot of a daze to beryllium honest. I anticipation that idiosyncratic is not severely injured," helium said. "I besides consciousness atrocious for Daniil. I cognize precisely however helium feels to beryllium disqualified successful a large match. "I americium definite that Daniil did not privation to bash this intentionally."