Last year's winner Carlos Alcaraz survived the onslaught of thousands of bees at the ATP 1000 tournament in Indian Wells and reached the semi-finals with a 6:3, 6:1 victory over Alexander Zverev.
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- Carlos Alcaraz wins his quarterfinal match in Indian Wells against Alexander Zverev in two sets and advances to the semifinals.
- A swarm of bees caused a disturbance during the match, causing a long interruption.
- “I've never seen anything like this in my 39 years in tennis. Unbelievable,” tennis legend Boris Becker wrote on X. Alcaraz himself spoke of the “most bizarre game” he had ever witnessed.
Less than ten minutes had been played before the quarter-final between Alcaraz and Zverev, and it had been halted for almost two hours with the score at 1:1 because thousands of bees were buzzing above the center court. They attached themselves to the television cameras and also attacked Alcaraz who was preparing for the service.
“I saw a few bees, but I thought it was just a few of them – not many. Then I looked up at the sky and saw thousands and thousands flying around me, stabbing my hair and attacking me. One of them stung me too. “I tried to get away from them, but it was impossible (…) so I ran away,” Alcaraz explained after the match.
And further: “I won't lie, I'm a little afraid of them. “So I had to get to a safe place and I ran everywhere without thinking about the bees,” explains the Spaniard, who disappeared into the dressing room with Zverev. “I've never seen anything like this before.” For 39 years in tennis. “Incredible,” tennis legend Boris Becker wrote on X.
The called beekeeper finally managed to collect the bees. “It was definitely the most unusual match I have ever witnessed in my career. I have never experienced anything like this. I have never seen anything like it before,” Alcaraz said. “We will always remember this match – because of the Bees,” says the 20-year-old. “And not because of tennis.”
As the players returned to the court, Alcaraz prevented Zverev from beating him for the third time in six months. For the 20-year-old defending champion, this was the tenth consecutive victory in the tournament held in the California desert.
In the semi-finals, Alcaraz will face Australian Open winner Jannik Sinner. “I don't know how I will deal with the match. He is without a doubt the best tennis player in the world at the moment,” Alcaraz says of the Italian, who is two years his senior and is unbeaten in 16 matches in 2024.
imago
The beekeeper collected the bees
The quarter-final match had to be stopped for approximately two hours
A beekeeper lets tennis fans celebrate after his work is done
Afterwards, Carlos Alcaraz (right) and Alexander Zverev were able to laugh about the incident
Alcaraz lost only four matches to Zverev and reached the semi-finals
Alcaraz will face Jannik Sinner in the Indian Wells semi-finals. The Australian Open winner has not lost a single match this year
After an invasion of bees, Alcaraz reaches the semi-finals – Photo Gallery
The beekeeper collected the bees
The quarter-final match had to be stopped for approximately two hours
A beekeeper lets tennis fans celebrate after his work is done
Afterwards, Carlos Alcaraz (right) and Alexander Zverev were able to laugh about the incident
Alcaraz lost only four matches to Zverev and reached the semi-finals
Alcaraz will face Jannik Sinner in the Indian Wells semi-finals. The Australian Open winner has not lost a single match this year
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