Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz fought off a swarming bee and Alexander Zverev to set up a semifinal matchup with Yannick Sinner in Indian Wells on Thursday. World No. 2 Alcaraz was stung on the forehead and was temporarily forced off the court as a “bee invasion” limited him to just two games in his quarter-final against Germany’s Alexander Zverev. He looked unfazed when play resumed after a delay of nearly two hours, winning 6-3, 6-1 to avenge his Australian Open quarter-final loss to Zverev. Sinner reached the semifinals with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Czech Jiri Lehecka, pushing his winning streak to 19 matches. Sinner’s record stretches back to last year’s Davis Cup final and includes a perfect 16-0 record in 2024.

In Saturday’s semifinals, he will challenge Alcaraz, who beat him to the title last year on the same stage in the California desert.

Alcaraz said he never imagined that his title defense would find him hiding among a swarm of bees.

Just two games into his match with Zverev, bees flooded the match, with Alcaraz punching a bee after being stung on the forehead.

Bees swarmed the remote-controlled “spider camera” and Alkaraz and Zverev were already running for cover when referee Mohamed Layani announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, play is suspended due to bee invasion.”

Swarm suspends Carlos Alcaraz at Indian Wellspic.twitter.com/DRwOBeuVAI

— Levandov (@Levandov_2) March 15, 2024

It was definitely the most unusual game I’ve ever played in my career. ” He recalled noticing the bee after winning a point on serve in the third game.

“I thought it was just a few of them, not too many,” he said. “But I saw the sky and there were thousands of them flying, stuck in my hair, flying towards me. It was crazy.

“I tried to stay away from them but it was impossible.”

A bee expert was called in to use a vacuum cleaner to capture bees gathering on aerial cameras in real time.

The players were brought back to the court to warm up, although Alcaraz insisted beekeeper Lance Davis get rid of some stragglers around the players’ chairs and equipment.

“I’m not going to lie,” Alcaraz said, “I’m a little scared of bees.”

But he was no longer in trouble with Bee or Zverev.

He said he was pleased that he was able to stay focused during the delay and was pleased with his performance against the big-serving Zverev.

Alcaraz said he played “probably one of the best comeback matches of my tennis career.

“I put in every point in return,” said Alcaraz, who has gone from strength to strength in pursuit of his first title since defeating Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon last July. .

He is expected to face a stiff challenge from Sinner, who won his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne and has since lifted the trophy in Rotterdam.

In a breezy condition on Court 2, Sinner was firmly in control, breaking Lehka early in each set and saving the only break point he faced in the match.

“Things are definitely different today,” Sinner said. “It was very windy at first, but I handled it well.”

Fourth-ranked Daniil Medvedev, who was runner-up to Alkaraz last year, defeated seventh-ranked Denmark’s Holger Ruhn 7-5, 6-4 to return to the semifinals.

Medvedev will face American Tommy Paul, who defeated ninth-ranked Norwegian Caspar Ruud 6-2, 1-6, 6-3.

Paul hit 35 winners, saved two break points on serve, and then sealed the victory on the second match point.

“It’s awesome,” said Paul, who had dropped out of four of his five previous meetings with Luther. “I’m really excited about the way I played.”

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