In a year of tennis hindrances, Daniil Medvedev and Jack Draper had the strangest

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — The year of tennis hindrance drama continued Thursday at the BNP Paribas Open.

In Daniil Medvedev’s 6-1, 7-5 win against Jack Draper that sent him to a semifinal matchup against Carlos Alcaraz, Medvedev was in full form. In more ways than one.

He pulled out a vintage performance in a 21-minute first set during which he lost just two points on his first serve and dragged a tired-looking Draper around court like a puppeteer. The Brit looked to be operating on low battery, less than 24 hours after beating Novak Djokovic in a tense three-set encounter Wednesday.

But the second set featured the sport’s ultimate heel ruffling feathers once again, when Medvedev won a point on a controversial hindrance call.

It was at least the fourth noteworthy hindrance call this year. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was given a penalty during the Australian Open semifinals for extending her usual grunt; Dušan Lajović was afforded a match point at last month’s Rio de Janeiro Open due to Daniel Altmaier crying out in the process of hitting a perfect drop shot. And earlier during this tournament, Luciano Darderi was match point down when he tried to call a hindrance on his opponent Rinky Hijikata for shouting out.

Hijikata had done no such thing — it was someone in the crowd who called out. It went to video review, and Darderi lost the point and the match.

Thursday’s moment roused immediate boos from the crowd on Stadium 2. Serving at 5-5, 0-15 in the second set, Draper spread his arms out wide after hitting a forehand, almost in a shrugging motion mid-point.

He and Medvedev continued for seven more shots, but after Medvedev sent a backhand into the top of the tape and lost the point, he started walking towards chair umpire Aurélie Tourte. Medvedev said in a news conference after the match that he was asking Tourte how he should handle such a situation in the future.

“I think you’ve got that wrong.”

CONTROVERSY as Jack Draper is called for a hindrance in a crucial moment, despite Medvedev making the next shot.

Watch the full interaction unfold ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/C5PrM7temw

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“I think I should have done it the moment it happened, like, I should not have waited until the end of the point, and then it would be a bit more, probably available,” Medvedev said.

“But if you look at my first forehand, I could have gone for more. I was kind of tiny bit distracted. So I said to the umpire, ‘What should I do? Should I do it next time straightaway?’ And she goes, If you want, you can video review. I said, ‘OK, video review. And whatever she decided, she decided, and she decided that it’s a point for me. So I take it. That’s basically it.

“Was I distracted big time? No. Was I distracted a bit? Yes. Is it enough to win the point? I don’t know.”

At Tourte’s invitation, Medvedev requested a video review to see if Draper’s gesture counted as hindrance. Boos rained down, someone in the crowd mimicked a baby crying — and as Draper approached the net to talk to Medvedev, he instantly abdicated responsibility.

“I know you didn’t do it on purpose,” Medvedev said in a sympathetic tone, “whatever [the umpire] decides, she decides.”

Draper tried to appeal to Tourte on grounds that his gesture couldn’t have been too distracting, since they continued the point after it, but the video review stood. Tourte called the situation to the letter, and Medvedev was awarded a point.

The point wasn’t anywhere near as pivotal as the 26-shot rally which Draper lost in the first game of the third set that turned his match against Djokovic Wednesday; Medvedev was well in control by then. Draper said nothing to Tourte at the changeover, but he did talk to Medvedev about it as they shook hands at net.

“I don’t think it distracted you enough,” Draper said, adding that it was a “fair call.”

Medvedev put his hand on his chest at that, again commiserating with his opponent and telling Draper he didn’t feel good about the situation.

“Was I distracted big time? No. Do I feel good about it? Not really. But I also don’t feel like I cheated or something,” Medvedev said after.

“So I got a bit distracted. I let it go, I let the referee decide. I had a lot of calls against me in my life, and I usually don’t handle them well,” he said. At last year’s China Open in Beijing, Medvedev, cramping heavily, was given a “best effort” warning during his semifinal against Learner Tien which the ATP Tour later admitted was an error.

Arguing his case to umpire Adel Nour that day in September, Medvedev said: “I’m trying to be good. Why is every referee in the world trying to intimidate me?”

Thursday night at Indian Wells, he was in a better mood.

“To get one on my side, I guess feels good as well,” he said.