FAULT

Tennis Star Booted From Match After Hitting Fan With Ball

The world No. 5 accidentally struck a spectator in the eye with a ball.

Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from his China Open semifinal against Novak Djokovic after angrily swiping a ball into the crowd and striking a spectator in the eye. The world No. 5 was trailing 7-5, 5-3 after losing a point when he struck a ball that rebounded off the back wall. His backhand sent it into the front row, where it hit a spectator in the face. The fan doubled over, clutching his eye, before being helped out of the arena. “I was shocked, to be honest. I hope that person is not badly injured,” Djokovic said. He added that he sympathized with Medvedev, 30, having himself been disqualified from the 2020 U.S. Open after accidentally hitting a line judge with a ball. “I also feel sorry for Daniil. I know exactly how he feels to be disqualified in a big match. I am sure that Daniil did not want to do this intentionally.” The disqualification means Medvedev will lose the ranking points and prize money earned during his Beijing run. The incident adds to a history of emotional outbursts, including a racquet-smashing episode and a confrontation with a photographer at last year’s U.S. Open.