British number one Jack Draper’s Indian Wells title defense ended in the quarter-finals, sparking controversy after he was accused of interfering with opponent Daniil Medvedev.
The 24-year-old Briton, understandably tired of the feat of defeating Novak Djokovic less than 24 hours earlier, lost to the former world No. 1 6-1, 7-5.
The decisive moment came in the second set at 5-5 and 0-15, when Draper raised his arm during a contested line call and was deemed to have distracted his opponent. After a video review, referee Aurélie Tourte decided to award the point to Medvedev, who made the decisive break.
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Highlights of Jack Draper vs. Daniil Medvedev at Indian Wells
Draper shook hands with both Medvedev and Torte before leaving the court, but the California crowd made their feelings known as Medvedev was booed at the change of ends and again shortly after when he clinched the win.
In a one-sided first set, Draper lost his net cord on a break point in Medvedev’s favor and was broken in his first service game.
Medvedev rattled through his service games, then hit winners down the line and across the court, extending his lead to 4-0 in just 15 minutes.
Draper finally held serve to make it 5-1, but it was only a temporary reprieve as Medvedev finished the set in 25 minutes.
The second set was close, but it was Draper’s serve that was under constant pressure, an incident that Medvedev told his opponent “didn’t feel good” and ultimately helped seal his place in the semi-finals at the end of the match.
‘I feel like I’ve been in a lot of trouble’ – Draper on disturbance call
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Draper and Medvedev react to controversial interference call during quarterfinal match
Speaking to Sky Sports’ Tim Henman, Draper said: “Do you think that’s why we lost the fight? Absolutely not. I think Daniil was by far the stronger player. I don’t think we distracted him enough to cost him points, so I think it was a bit tough.”
“It’s a difficult situation. I moved my hand and the referee had to call it. I forced it a little bit and lost the point, but I can understand that from a subjective point of view.”
Medvedev arrived in California after winning the title in Dubai and is on an eight-fight winning streak.
The 30-year-old has won 16 consecutive sets since losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas in Rotterdam.
“If you look at the first forehand I hit after what happened, I think it would have been a much better shot without Jack’s gesture,” Medvedev told reporters.
“Was I pretty distracted? No. Do I feel good about it? Not really. But I don’t feel like I cheated or anything. I was a little distracted. I let it go and let the referee make the decision.”
What is a disability in tennis?
Draper was called for interference in his loss to Medvedev, but what does that mean?
Obstruction refers to a situation in which a player is prevented from taking a shot by something outside the player’s control other than permanent fixtures or spectator protests.
Types of disturbances include talking, moaning, outside noises, repeated requests from the other person, body movements, loose objects, injuries, etc.
Referee Torte explained to Draper, “You did something different in the rally that you don’t normally do. That’s something different.”
Draper argued, “There’s no way that’s going to distract him enough. In the rulebook, if he misses the next ball, it’s understandable, but we played two more shots.”
“I think that’s wrong.”
Norrie loses to Alcaraz.
Carlos Alcaraz celebrates defeating Cameron Norrie
British interest in singles ended as Cameron Norrie lost 6-3 6-4 to Carlos Alcaraz.
The British No. 2 put up a game against the world No. 1, but lost in the end.
Norie struggled to hold his own serve while also struggling to strike Alcaraz’s serve early on, and the 30-year-old was eventually broken in the sixth game of the contest.
Surprisingly, this led to a momentary lapse in concentration for the Spaniard, who forced three consecutive breaks before ending the first set, although Love broke him back.
Norie got an early break in the second set, but problems with his own serve put Alcaraz back in the lead.
Norie saved his first three match points, but Alcaraz made sure to convert the fourth to set up a semi-final showdown with Medvedev.
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Highlights of Carlos Alcaraz vs. Cameron Norrie in the Indian Wells quarterfinals
“It was really difficult. I struggled with Cameron’s style,” Alcaraz said.
“I was trying to do my best, but there was a little bit of confusion. His forehand has super topspin and his backhand is very flat, so sometimes it’s hard to find the right shot against him.
“But I played solid and aggressive when I could. I’m happy to get to this level.”
Alcaraz talks about Bee Squad fans
Alcaraz thanked the support of a group of fans who showed up at Indian Wells dressed as bees, recalling an episode two years ago when his match against Alexander Zverev was interrupted by a swarm of bees.
“They asked me to wear it, so I had to do it for them. It’s amazing how they support me every game. It’s really funny,” he said at a press conference.
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