Medvedev defaulted in Beijing as Djokovic meets de Minaur and Alcaraz faces Lehecka in Tokyo final

Daniil Medvedev's semi-final in Beijing ended in the worst possible way on Monday, with the Russian defaulted for hitting a ball into the crowd while trailing Novak Djokovic. The disqualification sent Djokovic through to the China Open final, where he meets Alex de Minaur tonight, a few hours after Carlos Alcaraz plays Jiri Lehecka for the Japan Open title in Tokyo.

For fans in Malaysia, both ATP 500 finals land at a good time. The Tokyo final is scheduled for 5pm local time (4pm Malaysia time), and the Beijing final starts no earlier than 7pm, which is also 7pm in Malaysia.

What happened to Medvedev

Djokovic was leading 7-5, 5-3 and serving for the match when the incident happened. After Djokovic won a point at the net, the ball came back towards Medvedev, who struck a backhand that flew into the stands and hit a spectator in the eye. Umpire Mohamed Lahyani defaulted him on the spot.

Medvedev apologised afterwards and said he was trying to contact the spectator. He insisted he had not meant to hit anyone and was only trying to keep the ball in play. Under the rules, a default means he loses the prize money and ranking points from the event. It is the first default of his ATP career.

Djokovic, who was famously disqualified from the 2020 US Open for hitting a line judge with a ball, said he felt for his opponent. "I know exactly how it feels to be disqualified in a big match," he told reporters.

Djokovic one win from a seventh Beijing title

The result kept Djokovic's remarkable Beijing record intact. He has never lost a match at the China Open, and the 39-year-old became the oldest ATP 500 finalist since the tour began in 1990. He also became the first player aged over 39 in that period to beat two top-10 opponents at the same event, having beaten Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals.

A win tonight would give him a seventh Beijing crown and the 102nd tour-level title of his career. He leads de Minaur 3-1 in their head-to-head, with his most recent win over the Australian coming at Wimbledon last year.

De Minaur, seeded fifth, reached the final after Hubert Hurkacz retired injured with the Australian ahead 6-4, 3-2. He is chasing his first Beijing title and his second trophy of the season after winning Rotterdam in February.

Alcaraz defends Tokyo title against Lehecka

In Tokyo, defending champion Alcaraz needed three sets to get past fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar in the semi-finals, winning 5-7, 6-3, 6-1. He said things turned once he started playing more aggressively. Alcaraz is unbeaten in Tokyo at 8-0 and this is his first final since returning from a five-month injury layoff.

His opponent, Czech player Jiri Lehecka, beat qualifier Valentin Vacherot of Monaco 6-4, 6-2. It is Lehecka's eighth tour-level final and his second of 2026 after Miami. He is on a six-match winning run, including two Davis Cup wins. Alcaraz leads their rivalry 3-1, with Lehecka's only win coming in the Doha quarter-finals in 2025.

Next stop: Shanghai

Both finals come on the eve of the Shanghai Masters, which starts on Wednesday 7 October. Djokovic has said he had not yet decided whether he will play in Shanghai and wanted to see how his body felt after Beijing. Alcaraz is seeded second at the Masters 1000 event.

Key takeaways

• Medvedev was defaulted in the Beijing semi-final while trailing Djokovic 7-5, 5-3 after a ball he hit struck a spectator in the eye.
• Djokovic faces fifth seed Alex de Minaur in the China Open final tonight, not before 7pm Malaysia time.
• Alcaraz plays Jiri Lehecka in the Tokyo final at 4pm Malaysia time, chasing his first title since a five-month layoff.
• Djokovic leads de Minaur 3-1 head-to-head; Alcaraz leads Lehecka 3-1.

FAQ Why was Medvedev disqualified in Beijing? He hit a backhand into the stands during his semi-final against Djokovic and the ball struck a spectator in the eye, which led the umpire to default him. What time is the Djokovic vs de Minaur final in Malaysia? The Beijing final is scheduled to start no earlier than 7pm on Tuesday 6 October, which is 7pm Malaysia time. What time is the Alcaraz vs Lehecka final in Malaysia? The Tokyo final is scheduled for 5pm Japan time, which is 4pm in Malaysia on Tuesday 6 October.

Sources: ATP Tour, Tennis Majors, ABC News, World in Sport, NBC Sports