Debris goes flying as wind gusts of 60km/h wreak havoc at Indian Wells
Daniil Medvedev reached the Indian Wells semi-finals for the third consecutive year, earning a tight 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(7) victory over 20-year-old Frenchman Arthur Fils.
The 29-year-old Russian, seeded fifth, needed two hours and 25 minutes to keep alive a bid for a third trip to the final of the event.
That included a brief delay in the third set when gusty winds blew debris all over the stadium.
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Such was the power of 60km/h winds, the French player had to stop a drink cooler from being blown away.
Fils' hat was also blowing off his head at the same time but managed to hold onto it.
Vision of Arthur Fils catching a flying drink cooler in windy conditions at Indian Wells. Twitter
Carlos Alcaraz, bidding to become the first man to win three straight at Indian Wells since Novak Djokovic in 2016, defeated Grigor Dimitrov 6-1, 6-1.
While others grappled with the difficult conditions, the Spaniard said the wind gusts helped him
"I always say that I like playing with wind, with these conditions. I think I adapt really well," he said.
"I think to play with such a huge wind is to believe in your physical conditions and to believe that you're going to reach every ball.
"That's what I thought in the match. I think Grigor plays more aggressively with less time, so I think that's why I adapt much better in these conditions in today's match."
