INDIAN WELLS:
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz fought off stacked bees and Alexander Zverev on Thursday to set up a semi-final showdown with Jannik Sinner at Indian Wells.
World number two Alcaraz was stung on the forehead and temporarily forced off the court as an “invasion of bees” halted his quarter-final against Germany’s Zverev with just two games to go.
He looked no worse for wear when play resumed after a delay of nearly two hours, polishing off a 6-3, 6-1 victory and avenging a quarter-final loss to Zverev at the Australian Open.
Sinner moved into the semifinals with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Czech Jiri Lehecka, extending his winning streak to 19.
Sinner’s streak stretches back to last year’s Davis Cup finals and includes a perfect 16-0 record in 2024.
In Saturday’s semifinals he will upset Alcaraz, who beat him on the same stage last year en route to the title in the California desert.
Alcaraz said he never imagined his title defense would find him ducking for cover among a swarm of bees.
He and Zverev were just two games into their match when the bees swarmed proceedings, Alcaraz pushing and sweeping away the insects after being stung on the forehead.
Bees swarmed the remote-controlled “spider cam” and Alcaraz and Zverev had already run for cover when chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani announced “Ladies and gentlemen, play is suspended due to an invasion of bees.”
“Definitely the most unusual match I’ve ever played in my career,” he said, recalling noticing the bees after winning a service point in the third game.
“I thought it was just a few of them, not too many,” he said. “But I saw the sky and thousands, thousands were flying, clinging to my hair, coming towards me. It was crazy.
“I tried to stay away from them, but it was impossible.”
A bee expert was called in and removed the bees that were clustered in the aerial camera with a live vacuum.
The players were brought back onto the field to warm up, although Alcaraz insisted that beekeeper Lance Davis get rid of some chokes around the players’ chairs and equipment.
“I’m not going to lie,” Alcaraz said “I’m a little scared of bees.”
But he had no other problem — with the bees or Zverev.
He said he was pleased with how he managed to stay focused during the delay, as well as his superb return game against Zverev.
Alcaraz said he played “probably one of my best rematches that I’ve had in my tennis career.
“I’m putting every return in,” said Alcaraz, who has gone from strength to strength as he chases his first title since beating Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon last July.
He can expect a tough challenge against Sinner, who won his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne and has since lifted the trophy in Rotterdam.
In windy conditions on court two, Sinner was in firm control, breaking Lehecka early in each set and saving the only break point he faced in the match.
“Today was definitely a different situation,” Sinner said. “It was windy at first, but I handled it really well.”
Fourth-ranked Daniil Medvedev, runner-up to Alcaraz last year, sealed a return trip to the semifinals with a 7-5, 6-4 win over seventh-ranked Holger Rune of Denmark.
Medvedev will play American Tommy Paul, who upset Casper Rudd with a 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 victory over the ninth-seeded Norwegian.
Paul hit 35 winners, saving two break points when he served for the match before clinching it on his second match point.
“It’s awesome,” said Paul, who had dropped four of his previous five meetings with Rudd. “I’m really excited about how I’m playing.”
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