Daniil Medvedev disqualified in Beijing / Novak Djokovic qualified for the final after the Russian hit a spectator

Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from the semifinal of the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing after hitting a ball into the stands and striking a spectator in the face. Novak Djokovic therefore reached the final, although the match ended with the Serbian player leading 7-5, 5-3.

The incident occurred in the second set, when Djokovic was serving at 15-15 in the ninth game. The Serbian had hit a winner, and the ball had bounced off the wall behind the court. Medvedev then struck the ball with his racket, sending it into the first row of the stands, where it hit a spectator in the face.

The man was taken out of the arena to receive medical attention. Chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani stopped the match and spoke with the tournament supervisor. After several minutes, officials decided to disqualify the Russian, who did not protest for long.

The victory gave Djokovic his 268th win against a player ranked in the ATP Top 10. In Beijing, the Serbian also became the oldest finalist in the history of ATP 500 tournaments, a category introduced in 2009. Djokovic will face fifth seed Alex De Minaur in the final.