Novak Djokovic, the No. 6 seed, reached the final of the China Open on Monday after Daniil Medvedev, the No. 3 seed, was disqualified while Djokovic was leading 7-5, 5-3 and serving for the match.
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The disqualification occurred during a rally when Medvedev, pushed wide, hit a backhand that flew into a box of spectators. The match ended abruptly as the referee and supervisor had no choice but to disqualify Medvedev.
This disqualification represents a significant setback for Medvedev, costing him all ATP ranking points and prize money from the tournament, critical as he competes for a spot in the ATP Finals.
Djokovic expressed sympathy for Medvedev, recalling his own disqualification at the 2020 US Open. "I’m a bit shocked. Sorry for the person. I hope he is not injured. I feel sorry for Daniil as well because I know exactly what it feels like to be disqualified in a match for this. It was an incredible battle today," he said.
The victory continues Djokovic's impressive performance this week. After defeating world No. 2 Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals, he became the first player over 39 to beat two Top 10 opponents at a single tournament since the ATP Tour's inception in 1990. At 39 years and 137 days old, he is also the oldest ATP 500 finalist, with only Ivo Karlovic, who was 39 years and 311 days old in 2019, having reached a final at an older age.
Djokovic, now 33-0 in Beijing, previously defeated top seed Zverev (4-6, 6-4, 6-4), Chinese wild card Yunchaokete Bu (4-6, 7-6, 6-2), and Portuguese Nuno Borges (6-3, 7-6).
In the final, Djokovic will face Australian Alex de Minaur, the No. 5 seed, who advanced after Hubert Hurkacz retired while De Minaur was leading 6-4, 3-2.