Shanghai semi-finals: Zverev v Davidovich Fokina, Medvedev meets Jódar for first time
Daniil Medvedev beats Tommy Paul 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 to complete the semi-final line-up. On Saturday he takes on Rafael Jódar, while Zverev faces Davidovich Fokina.
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Daniil Medvedev has claimed the last semi-final spot at the Shanghai Masters. The fifth seed and former world No. 1 beat American Tommy Paul 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 in two hours and eight minutes on Friday. Medvedev hit 16 aces and 31 winners and regained control in the decider after dropping the second set. It was his 70th tour-level semi-final and improved his record against Paul to five wins and one defeat. As the 2019 Shanghai champion, he is the only former winner left in the draw.
His opponent is 20-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jódar, the youngest semi-finalist in the tournament's history; the two have never met. "He has a great game," Medvedev said of Jódar, according to beIN Sports. "If I am playing well, I am tough to beat and that is what I am going to try to do." Both are still chasing a place at the ATP Finals in Turin; according to Flashscore, Jódar is eighth in the race, the final qualifying spot.
In the first semi-final, top seed Alexander Zverev faces Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. According to Sport1 the match was scheduled for 10:30 German time, with Medvedev v Jódar set for 13:00 according to Flashscore. Zverev leads Davidovich Fokina 6-1 in their head-to-head, having won their last two meetings at the 2025 Masters events in Madrid and Paris.