Daniil Medvedev was disqualified from his Beijing Open semifinal against Novak Djokovic on Monday after hitting a ball into the stands that struck a spectator in the face.
The highly anticipated clash between the two stars ended prematurely after Medvedev, appearing frustrated during the match, swatted the ball toward the crowd. Play was immediately halted as officials assessed the incident, with a spectator in the front row seen holding their head after being hit.
The broadcast initially remained unclear about what had happened, with commentators debating whether Medvedev had attempted to prevent the ball from entering the crowd or had struck it out of frustration. After reviewing the incident, officials determined that Medvedev's actions warranted a disqualification.
Djokovic was leading 7-5, 5-3 when the match was stopped and subsequently awarded the victory. The Serbian had been serving for the match and booked his place in the final, where he will face Alex de Minaur on Tuesday.
The disqualification was a major setback for Medvedev, who had entered the contest on a seven-match winning streak. He will also forfeit the ranking points and prize money earned at the Beijing Open as a result of the disqualification.
The victory extended Djokovic's remarkable record in Beijing to 33-0. The tournament uses a best-of-three-set format.