In a shocking incident, Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from the China Open semi-final with Novak Djokovic on Monday after the Russian hit a rebounding ball into the crowd, knocking a fan in the eye.
The 2021 US Open champion was trailing 7-5, 5-3 in the second set when, in frustration, he struck a ball that was coming off the back wall. After taking a hit to the eye, the spectator sitting in the front row held his left eye and was visibly in pain. He was immediately escorted out of the gallery by the stadium’s staff.
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In a post-match interview, Medvedev revealed that it was indeed an accident and he did not intend to hit the ball in anger.
“Yeah, I mean, 100% accident. You can see that I didn’t hit the ball in anger. Actually, I do a lot of bad things, but usually ball abuse is not my thing,” Daniil Medvedev said.
He also added that he was sorry for the spectator and would like to apologize in person and see how he feels. When asked what flashed in his mind at that moment after he hit the ball, the 30-year-old said,
“It was a horrible feeling because, again, that’s not what I usually do. I didn’t want to hit. I mean, you can see that there is zero anger in this moment. It’s not especially frustrating,” he added.
Daniil Medvedev gets 100% honest about Novak Djokovic’s chances at the China Open final
After the semi-final disqualification, Daniil Medvedev opened up about the Serbian’s chances of winning the China Open title. The Russian said that Novak Djokovic played the semi-final like he used to play his best matches and that he believes that the 39-year-old has fair chances to claim the title.
“Djokovic played really well. I feel like he played like when he played his best matches. Yeah, he played incredibly. So I think he has a big chance in the final,” Daniil Medvedev said.
The Russian has a history of intense emotional outbursts like racket smashes, verbal tirades, and more. Although critics argued about his temperament during the China Open semi-final, the 30-year-old insisted it was purely accidental and not intentional.
Edited by Ahana Bhaumik
