Carlos Alcaraz Powers Through 'Bee Invasion', Alexander Zverev To Reach Indian Wells Semi-Finals

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz fought off swarming bees and Alexander Zverev on Thursday to set up a semi-final clash with Jannik Sinner at Indian Wells. World number two Alcaraz was stung on the forehead and temporarily forced from the court as a "bee invasion" halted his quarter-final against Germany's Zverev with just two games completed. He looked none the worse for wear when play resumed after a delay of almost two hours, polishing off a 6-3, 6-1 victory and avenging a quarter-final loss to Zverev at the Australian Open.

Sinner powered into the semi-finals with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Czech Jiri Lehecka pushing his match win streak to 19.

Sinner's win streak stretches back through last year's Davis Cup finals and includes a perfect 16-0 record in 2024.

In Saturday's semi-finals he'll be out to turn the tables on Alcaraz, who beat him at the same stage last year on the way to the title in the California desert.

Alcaraz said he never imagined his title defense would find him ducking for cover amid a swarm of bees.

He and Zverev were just two games into their match when the bees overwhelmed proceedings, Alcaraz swatting and swiping at the insects after being stung on the forehead.

The 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 bee invasion."

A bee expert was summoned and removed the bees clustered on the aerial camera with a live-capture vacuum.

"It was strange, I've never seen something like that on a tennis court," Alcaraz said. "When we ran out of the court, we were watching the bee invasion on the TV and we laughed a lot about it.

"It was funny for me. It's going to be