Sports · NEWS EXPLAINER
Djokovic reaches China Open final after Medvedev is disqualified
Djokovic led 7–5, 5–3 when play stopped. Alex de Minaur awaits in Tuesday's final after Hubert Hurkacz retired.
Novak Djokovic reached the China Open final in Beijing on October 5 after Daniil Medvedev was disqualified when a ball he hit struck a spectator. Djokovic is scheduled to face Alex de Minaur on Tuesday.
One completed set, one unfinished set
Djokovic had taken the first set 7–5 and led the second 5–3. Reuters reports that he was serving for the match when the default ended the semifinal.
The 7–5 first set was complete; the 5–3 second set was not. A default result alongside those numbers records the ending without implying Djokovic won a finished second set.
Djokovic's lead before the default
Djokovic's official report says he broke Medvedev to close the opening set. In the second, Medvedev broke back to 4–3 before Djokovic immediately broke again for 5–3.
That sequence left Djokovic serving for the match. It explains the lead at the stoppage, while the disqualification explains why play ended.
Retirement decides the other semifinal
Hurkacz retired with de Minaur ahead 6–4, 3–2, according to the Associated Press. De Minaur had won the opening set, while the second remained unfinished.
Both finalists therefore advanced from interrupted matches. The result types remain different: Medvedev's match ended in disqualification, and Hurkacz's in retirement. Neither score should be presented as two completed sets.
33–0 before Tuesday's final
Djokovic's China Open match record is now 33–0, his official website reports. Our October 4 quarterfinal report covered his win over Alexander Zverev and the previous 32–0 mark.
Tuesday's final pairs Djokovic and de Minaur. The semifinal results establish that matchup; the championship match remains ahead. The 33–0 figure counts tournament matches, not titles.
