Medvedev said: “Terribly sorry to the spectator, first of all I’m trying to get in touch with him, if he wants it. Hopefully I can apologise in person. I just hope he’s OK. That’s the most important. I just really care about him right now.
“It was 100 per cent accident. You can see I didn’t hit the ball in anger. I do a lot of bad things but usually ball abuse is not my thing. When I saw the result, I felt horrible. Hopefully I can meet him and make up for it somehow.
Speaking on court afterwards, Djokovic, defaulted at the 2020 US Open for hitting a line judge with a ball, said: “It is a bit of a shock, to be honest. I am sorry for the person.
“I didn’t see what happened. I hope the person is not badly injured. I feel sorry for Daniil as I know exactly how it feels to be disqualified in a big match. I’m sure he didn’t want to do this intentionally.”
Djokovic: Always a battle against Medvedev
Djokovic, 39, won the China Open six times in seven years between 2009 and 2015 but had not returned prior to this campaign.
The Serb, who secured a come-from-behind quarter-final victory over world No 2 Alexander Zverev on Sunday, will meet Alex de Minaur in Tuesday’s final as he looks to clinch a 102nd career title and first since the Hellenic Championship little under a year ago.
Djokovic reached the Australian Open final in January, losing to Carlos Alcaraz in four sets, but has struggled for fitness and form since and dropped out of the world’s top 10, although this run in Beijing has returned him to that elite level.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion, who has played just eight tournaments this year, recently revealed an ongoing medical condition that has led to fatigue and vomiting on court, with the issue exacerbated in hot and humid conditions.
