Terribly sorry: Medvedev apologises after hitting fan with ball at China Open

Daniil Medvedev issued an apology to the fan he hit with the ball, which resulted in him getting defaulted during his semi-final clash against Novak Djokovic at the China Open. Medvedev said that it was an accident and expressed his desire to meet the fan and apologise to him in person.

Medvedev’s China Open campaign ended in controversy as he was disqualified from his semifinal against Novak Djokovic after hitting a ball into the stands that struck a spectator. The incident occurred while Djokovic was serving for the match at 7-5, 5-3, with Medvedev hitting the ball away in frustration after it came back towards him, sending it into the first row and apparently hitting a fan near the eye.

The spectator was given medical attention immediately and escorted away from the stands. Medvedev had a chat with the officials, who decided to default him.

"I feel terribly sorry for him actually and I just hope he's okay," Medvedev said following the incident. "That's the most important. The rest, we move on. I just really care about him right now. Hopefully I can meet him and make up for it somehow."

Medvedev explained the circumstances leading to the incident and claimed that he didn't hit the ball in anger.

"It was 100 per cent an accident," Medvedev shared. "You can see that I didn't hit the ball in anger The ball was bouncing back, so I tried to just hit it anywhere, so it wouldn't go out of the court.

"When I saw the result, I felt horrible because, again, I don't think I was ever close to such a situation. The most important thing is I hope that he's okay, because you never know with these types of situations."

The incident overshadowed a clincial performance from Djokovic, who is one win away from his 102nd tour-level title. Medvedev praised the former World No.1 and rued some of his own missed chances.

"It was a tough match for me," Medvedev admitted. "He played really well. I felt he played like when we played our best matches. I had some opportunities, which I missed. He played incredibly, so I think he has big chances in the final."

The incident meant that Medvedev was stripped off the 200 ATP ranking points and prize money from his China Open semifinal run, with reports estimating the lost payout at around USD 219,295.- Ends