India, Oct. 6 -- Daniil Medvedev was defaulted from the China Open on Monday during his tense semifinal match against Novak Djokovic after he hit a spectator in the stands, who was sitting behind him, with a ball he struck in frustration. This could prove to be the second-costliest default in professional tennis, but Medvedev stands to lose much more.

Down 5-7, 3-5, with Djokovic serving for a place in the final, Medvedev missed a return after a forehand volley winner from the Serb. The ball bounced off the advertising boards and back towards Medvedev, who struck a backhand, sending it into the stands, where it ended up hitting a spectator. The spectator was immediately seen covering his face and was escorted from the stands for medical ...