Jack Draper hit by controversial VAR call as Indian Wells title defence ends vs Medvedev: ‘No way it distracted him enough’
Medvedev was booed by the crowd after the controversial decision
Jack Draper 's Indian Wells title defence ended in controversial circumstances during his quarter-final defeat to Daniil Medvedev , with a contentious hindrance call proving pivotal in the 6-1 7-5 loss. The decisive moment arrived at 5-5, 0-15 in the second set. Umpire Aurelie Torte, after a video review, awarded a crucial point to Medvedev.
The call came after Draper, visibly weary from his victory over Novak Djokovic less than 24 hours earlier, raised his arms at a disputed line call, deemed to have distracted his opponent. This controversial decision allowed Medvedev to secure a vital break. The California crowd made their feelings clear, booing Medvedev at the change of ends and after he sealed victory.
The two players had a long chat at the net as they shook hands, with Medvedev saying "If you're mad at me, I'm sorry" and Draper responding "I'm not at all - but I don't think it distracted you enough". Despite the contentious circumstances, Draper shook hands with both Medvedev and Torte before leaving the court. The opening set had been one-sided, with Draper broken in his first service game after a net cord favoured Medvedev, who then raced to a 4-0 lead within 15 minutes.
Jack Draper gestures toward a chair umpire during a quarterfinal match against Daniil Medvedev (AP) Draper finally got on the board with a hold of serve to make it 5-1 but it was only a temporary reprieve as Medvedev wrapped up the set in 25 minutes. The second set was a closer contest, although it was the Draper serve which was consistently coming under the greater pressure, with Medvedev telling his opponent he “didn’t feel great” about the incident which ultimately contributed to him sealing a semi-final spot at the end of the match. British interest in the singles came to an end as Cameron Norrie went down 6-3 6-4 to Carlos Alcaraz.