Davidovich Fokina beats Zverev in Shanghai semifinal

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina defeated Alexander Zverev in the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters 1000 on October 17, 2026, advancing to his second Masters 1000 final. The match score was 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, with the contest lasting two hours and two minutes.

Zverev expected to be world number one

Zverev, who is set to become the world number one in the coming weeks, was the top seed and had been expected to finish the season as the top-ranked player. Davidovich Fokina, ranked 26th, had previously lost to Zverev in their head-to-head record.

Davidovich Fokina faces Medvedev or Jodar in final

Davidovich Fokina will face the winner of the other semifinal between Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Jodar in the final. This will be his second Masters 1000 final, following his previous appearance in Monte-Carlo in 2022, where he lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Davidovich Fokina's strong performance highlights

In the match, Davidovich Fokina was particularly effective on his serve, hitting 18 aces. He broke Zverev's serve early in the third set and held his serve strongly, capitalizing on his opponent's dip in form.

Davidovich Fokina reaches career milestone

Davidovich Fokina had previously benefited from a quick withdrawal by Arthur Gea in the previous round, allowing him to reach the semifinals. This victory marks a significant milestone in his career, as he is now seeking his third ATP title, having previously won in Majorca in June and in Chengdu at the end of September.