Rafael Jodar achieved a significant milestone by defeating Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals of the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Saturday, winning with a score of 6-3, 6-4. This victory marks Jodar's first appearance in a Masters 1000 final, setting up an all-Spanish title match against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
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The match was initially anticipated to showcase the 2019 final rematch between Medvedev and Alexander Zverev, but instead featured two Spanish players. Jodar, the No. 12 seed, will compete against the No. 25 seed Davidovich Fokina. This final will be the ninth all-Spanish Masters 1000 final since the series began in 1990 and the first since 2017.
At just 20 years old, Jodar becomes the youngest player in the tournament's history to reach a Masters 1000 final and the first male born in 2006 to achieve this feat. His ranking will rise to a career-high No. 11 on Monday, a significant jump from No. 168 at the start of the season.
During the semifinal match, Jodar displayed remarkable resilience, especially in the opening game, which lasted 13 minutes. He broke Medvedev's serve twice and managed to save crucial break points, ultimately serving out the match without facing a break point in the final game.
Jodar's previous matches this week saw him coming back from a set down; however, against Medvedev, he secured victory in straight sets for the first time. Prior matches included wins over Thiago Agustin Tirante, Jiri Lehecka, Botic van de Zandschulp, and Casper Ruud.
For Medvedev, the 2019 Shanghai champion ranked No. 6, this defeat marks a shift in his performance in China this year, where he now holds an 11-2 record. Prior to facing Jodar, he registered victories over Jan-Lennard Struff, Dalibor Svrcina, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Tommy Paul in his matches at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.