Djokovic Returns to Beijing Final After Medvedev Defaulted

A brilliant match at the Beijing Open ended in unfortunate circumstances as Medvedev was disqualified for hitting a ball into a spectator's face.

Daniil Medvedev's was disqualified from his Beijing Open semi-final against Novak Djokovic | IMAGO / ABACAPRESS

One of the more compelling rivalries in men's tennis over the past few years has been between Novak Djokovic and his own inevitable sporting mortality.

That particular contest has taken yet another twist this week in Beijing, as the Serb has reached the 146th final of his astonishing career in the Chinese capital, today defeating Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 5-3 in a captivating semi-final clash.

Unfortunately, headlines that should be all about the 24-time Grand Slam champion will instead throw much of the focus on his opponent, who was disqualified from the tournament late into this match after striking and injuring a spectator with the ball.

An Excellent Encounter Ends In Unfortunate Circumstances

Up until this incident, it had been an excellent match. Yet, after nearly two-and-a-half hours of gripping sporting drama, a single moment of petulance from Medvedev undermined much of what had gone before.

Serving for the match at a set and 5-3 up, Djokovic sent a forehand cross-court winner past his opponent to level the game at 15-15. In apparent irritation, Medvedev swiped at the ball after it ricocheted back off the side boarding, hitting a nearby spectator in the face who had been sitting in the front row behind the baseline.

The man who had been struck was in clear physical distress, doubled over for several minutes before being escorted out of the arena while still clutching his eye in pain.

After a brief period of uncertainty about how this would be resolved, umpire Mohamed Lahyani and another ATP official then explained to Medvedev that he had been defaulted, and the match was over.
It means that the Russian will be stripped of the ranking points and prize money that he had earned from his run to the last-four in Beijing as his time in the capital this year comes to an ignominious end.

The Only Decision Available To The Umpire

Any criticism of Medvedev, while justified, should resist being overly harsh here. This was the most fleeting lapses of judgement, committed out of momentary frustration rather than any extreme outburst of anger or malice.

Unfortunately for him, the crowd, and the spectacle itself, there was little other option for Lahyani to take. The rules are clear cut, and this particular case made more severe by the fact that it had resulted in the injury of a crowd member. Djokovic himself was infamously on the wrong end of this rule when he was disqualified from the 2020 US Open after accidentally striking a lines judge.

"It's a bit of a shock to be honest. I hope that person is not badly injured," the Serb said after the match. "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."

How This Semi-Final Unfolded

Prior to this regrettable ending, this semi-final had all the hallmarks of an absolute ATP classic. The opening stanza alone was a mammoth, physical affair spanning a total of 79 breathless minutes.

The pair exchanged back-to-back breaks in the fifth and sixth games, with Medvedev striking first before Djokovic hit straight back. The Russian then fended off a set point in the tenth game, but was powerless to prevent the six-time champion from earning another break in the twelfth, with Djokovic converting his third set point to take the opener 7-5.

Again, both players exchanged breaks in the sixth and seventh games of the second set, this time it was the Serb who took a 4-2 lead before being pegged straight back to parity by his opponent.

It had been a high-quality encounter with few lapses from either, until a sudden and unexpected flurry of unforced errors from Medvedev at 15-0 up on his serve gifted Djokovic the crucial final break in the eighth game. With Djokovic serving for the contest, victory looked highly probable. Yet, sadly, he was denied the opportunity to seal a truly superb win for himself as the match then came to its ill-fated conclusion two points later.

A Statement Run In Beijing From Timeless Djokovic

Despite the nature of its ending, nothing should detract from just what a statement result and performance this was from Novak Djokovic. This extends equally to his entire run in Beijing this year.

At 39 years of age, and after 10 months that have largely been defined by a series of form and fitness issues, the Serb has utilised this late-season opportunity to reassert himself as a true contender for the sport's greatest prizes. While questions remain around his ability to withstand the rigours of five-set matches across the course of a Grand Slam fortnight, his quality and mentality remain undiminished.

If this wasn't evident following his quarter-final triumph over World No. 2 and the reigning French and US Open champion Alexander Zverev, it most certainly is now. Djokovic has backed up victory over the German with a second straight win over a top-5 opponent to earn himself a shot at a 102nd ATP career title and become the oldest ATP finalist in history.

In doing so, the Serb has also kept alive his unbeaten run in the Chinese capital - a run of 33 straights wins stretching back to 2009. He will face Alex de Minaur in the final for a chance to claim a seventh Beijing crown, leading the pair's head-to-head 3-1.

Impossibly, and perhaps rather unfortunately for De Minaur, Djokovic's ongoing battle with his own sporting mortality appears to be little more than yet another head-to-head record that he is currently winning.