Djokovic puts himself in Medvedev's shoes after his disqualification

Novak Djokovic has achieved another great victory at the ATP Beijing to maintain his unbeaten streak in the tournament and reach the final in pursuit of his seventh title. After defeating Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals, today the Serbian player eliminated Daniil Medvedev, albeit in a much more bittersweet manner, as the Russian was disqualified for hitting a spectator in the eye with a ball while Nole was serving to close the match. Djokovic spoke about this in a press conference, putting himself in Daniil's shoes by recalling what happened to him at the US Open 2020. 

On that occasion, Djokovic was playing a tough match against Pablo Carreño in the round of 16 when he received a break against in the first set and hit a ball that struck one of the line judges in the throat. This obviously resulted in an immediate disqualification, which is why Djokovic wanted to "defend" Medvedev, claiming that he never intended to injure anyone. Nevertheless, it is a serious error that is difficult to justify, which has tainted a great match that was being played at a very high level.

Djokovic analyzes the victory and Medvedev's disqualification

The end of the match was definitely shocking. I didn't see what happened. As soon as I hit the winning shot, I turned around and went for the towel. We saw what was happening on the court. There was a person who was obviously injured or not feeling well. I don’t know the severity of the injury. I hope it’s nothing serious. I also feel sorry for Daniil because I know that feeling. At the US Open in 2020, I was also disqualified under similar circumstances. It's horrible because I'm sure Daniil did not intend to injure anyone in the stands, but these things happen.

I was three points away from winning the match. You could say I could have closed that game, but considering the number of break points I faced, I'm sure it wouldn't have been that easy for me to hold serve. Nevertheless, those were two of the longest sets I've played in recent years. It's always a great battle against Daniil. I knew before the match that, given these conditions and the level of hitting he has shown in recent weeks, it was going to require a lot of energy and effort on my part if I wanted to achieve victory.

In some situations, I was lucky that he missed some easy decisive shots when he had break points in the second set. Yes, his conversion rate on break points was not good today. Look, I didn't feel like I had too many free points. I had to work incredibly hard for every point. There were moments when I was almost praying for a little more time between points. It was very, very exhausting. Yes, it was a tough situation to finish. I'm glad I managed to get through and reach another final here in Beijing.

Final against De Miñaur

I foresee a lot of running (smiles). Once again, running doesn't get any easier; that's for sure. Look, I expect another battle, another physical match in which I probably won't get too many free points. That's why I'm focusing on recovery and trying to step onto the court as fresh as possible to perform at my best.

Unbeaten record in Beijing and final won in 2015 against Nadal

2015 was a fantastic year in Beijing, and overall as well. It was one of the best seasons of my career. Probably the best 18 months of my career were the last 12 months of 2015 and the first six of 2016; I was surely playing the best tennis of my life. Here I achieved one of the most decisive victories in a tournament back in 2015. Yes, I have good memories. I hope tomorrow I can replicate a performance similar to that of the 2015 final. We’ll see. I'm a completely different player 11 years later. There's something about Beijing that motivates me to keep going. I feel great. I love playing here. Moreover, the support from the crowd is incredible. I can't wait for the match.

Final message to his Chinese fans

Thank you for mentioning that. I've seen many fans outside the center court, the Diamond Court, and also around my hotel. I try to interact with them. I’ve been getting out of the car several nights in a row when arriving at the hotel to spend 15 or 20 minutes with the fans, take photos and sign autographs. I understand that not everyone has the opportunity to be on the court or get a ticket. I greatly appreciate the support from people who are not inside the stadium. I see them, I realize their presence, and I try to interact with them and show them love and respect. Thank you very much.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Djokovic habla sobre Medvedev tras la descalificación del ruso