Daniil Medvedev was defaulted for hitting a spectator with the ball during his semi-final with Novak Djokovic at the China Open, but was it the correct decision or should he have been able to continue playing?
Medvedev was trailing Djokovic 7-5 5-3 when he hit the ball coming off the wall. The spectator, sitting in the first row, clutched his left eye and appeared in pain as he left the gallery. Medvedev did not protest the umpire's decision to disqualify him.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Jonathan Overend said: "From the first camera angle we weren't sure where it had gone, but a different angle showed it went straight into the spectator's face... It was absolutely the correct decision. The rulebook is very clear." He noted umpire Mohamed Lahyani initially seemed uncertain until the supervisor got involved.
Johanna Konta feels Medvedev was "unfortunate" but said: "I can almost with certainty say he wouldn't intentionally hit a spectator... Frustration isn't conducive to clarity of mind, so he wouldn't have intentionally done that."
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing