Davidovich Fokina Shocks Top Seed Zverev to Reach Shanghai Masters Final

Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has achieved a significant upset by defeating top seed Alexander Zverev 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the Shanghai Masters final. He is set to face either former world number one Daniil Medvedev or fellow Spaniard Rafael Jodar in the championship match.

The 25th seed displayed an impressive performance, hitting 36 winners during the two-hour, two-minute encounter on Saturday. This victory marks only his second career win against Zverev in eight meetings, with his previous triumph occurring at the Canadian Open in 2023.

Davidovich Fokina secured his first break of the match in the second set, leveling the contest with a spectacular backhand passing shot during a fierce baseline rally, which drew applause from the crowd. He carried this momentum into the final set, breaking Zverev's serve early for a 2-0 lead and maintaining control throughout the remainder of the match. This win propels him into his second ATP Masters 1000 final, having previously been a runner-up in Monte Carlo in 2022.

With an 82 percent first-serve success rate and consistently targeting Zverev's forehand, Davidovich Fokina secured one of the most notable 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 stated. "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."

Zverev attributed his loss to fatigue. "I think a break is quite necessary now," the 29-year-old told reporters, adding that he would assess his fitness before the Vienna tournament starting October 24. "I carried a little bit of injury, I carried fatigue into the tournament, and I’m OK to lose to a player like this today," Zverev commented, mentioning he experienced some discomfort in his ankle during the Shanghai event.

Davidovich Fokina, who missed the North American hard-court season in August due to injury, has now won nine consecutive matches in China. This follows his victory at the ATP 250 event in Chengdu last month, which was his second tour-level title.

The loss was a disappointing conclusion to the week for Zverev, a seven-time ATP Masters 1000 champion whose best performance in Shanghai was a runner-up finish to Medvedev in 2019. Despite this, Zverev has had a strong season, winning his first Grand Slam at the French Open, securing his second major title at the US Open, and clinching the ATP year-end world number one ranking after Jannik Sinner's season-ending knee injury.

The second semifinal was underway between fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev and 12th-seeded Rafael Jodar, aged 20.