Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz was attacked and stung by a bee while playing against Alexander Zverev in the Indian Wells quarter-finals, Friday (15/3). He was forced to leave the field to recover after his forehead was stung by a bee.
Even though he was hampered, the Spaniard finally managed to beat Zverez. In the semifinals Alcaraz will face Jannik Sinner.
After the bee sting incident, the match resumed after being delayed for almost two hours. Alcaraz went on to win 6-3, 6-1 and avenge his quarterfinal loss to Zverev at the Australian Open. Alcaraz never imagined the bee incident.
“Obviously this is the most extraordinary match I have ever played in my career,” he said.
“I thought it was just a few, not too many but I looked up at the sky and there were thousands, thousands (of bees) flying, stuck in my hair, heading towards me. That’s crazy. I tried to stay away from them, but it was impossible,” added Alcaraz.
An expert was called in and removed the bees swarming on the camera with a vacuum cleaner.
Also read: Beat Felix Auger-Aliassime, Carlos Alcaraz advances at the Indian Wells Masters
Meanwhile, Sinner advanced to the semifinals with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Czech Jiri Lehecka. The victory allowed Sinner to extend his winning streak to 19 matches.
Sinner’s streak stretches back to last year’s Davis Cup final and includes a perfect 16-0 record in 2024.
Facing Alcaraz in the semifinals, he will try to turn things around against Alcaraz who beat him at the same stage last year.
(AFP/Z-9)
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