SHANGHAI, China, Oct 17 (Reuters) – Alejandro Davidovich Fokina upset top seed Alexander Zverev 5-7 6-4 6-3 on Saturday to reach the Shanghai Masters final, where he was joined by fellow Spaniard Rafael Jodar after the 20-year-old sensation downed former world number one Daniil Medvedev.
Davidovich Fokina, the 25th seed, fired 36 winners in the two-hour, two-minute contest to secure only his second victory over Zverev in eight meetings. His previous win against the German came in the round of 32 at the Canadian Open in 2023.
He earned his first break of the match to take the second set, forcing a decider with a stunning backhand passing shot on the run that capped a bruising baseline exchange and brought the crowd to their feet.
Carrying that momentum into the final set, Davidovich Fokina broke Zverev for a 2-0 lead and never relinquished control, booking a place in the second ATP Masters 1000 final of his career after finishing runner-up in Monte Carlo in 2022.
Landing 82% of his first serves and repeatedly exposing Zverev on the forehand side, the 27-year-old secured one of the biggest victories of his career.
“I knew that if I stayed there all match, I could get at least one chance and I took it there in the second set,” Davidovich Fokina said.
“Then in the third set, I think I was better physically. The early break in the third set gave me a lot of power.
“I focused on just playing, not mattering about the result but enjoying.”
Davidovich Fokina has now won nine consecutive matches in China after lifting his second tour-level title at the ATP 250 event in Chengdu last month.
It was a disappointing end to the week for Zverev, a seven-time ATP Masters 1000 champion whose best result in Shanghai remains his runner-up finish to Medvedev in 2019.
The 29-year-old has otherwise enjoyed a fine season, ending his Grand Slam drought at the French Open before claiming a second major title at the US Open and securing the ATP year-end world number one ranking after Jannik Sinner was sidelined for the remainder of the season with a knee injury.
Twelfth seed Jodar continued his remarkable rise by becoming the youngest Shanghai finalist in tournament history and strengthening his chances of qualifying for the ATP Finals in his first full season on the tour with a 6-3 6-4 victory over fifth-seeded Russian Medvedev.
The aggressive right-hander, who was ranked outside the world’s top 900 little more than a year ago, is seeking the second ATP title of his career after capturing his maiden crown in Morocco and will now compete in his first Masters 1000 final.
“It was a very tough match,” Jodar said. “In the first set all the games were very close, with breakpoints for him, breakpoints for me.
“I’m super happy with how I handled the important moments in the first set, and also how I returned and served.
“Daniil is always a very tough player. I think he played great today. So I had to be at my best level to beat him.”
Sunday’s championship match will mark the first meeting between Jodar and Davidovich Fokina.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon)
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