Spaniard derails Zverev's title charge in Shanghai

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has produced a major upset, coming from a set down to defeat top seed Alexander Zverev and reach the Shanghai Masters final.

The 25th seed Davidovich Fokina battled back against the soon-to-be-crowned world No.1 to prevail 5-7 6-4 6-3 in Saturday's semi and set up a showdown with either Daniil Medvedev or fellow Spaniard Rafael Jodar.

Davidovich Fokina fired 36 winners in the two-hour two-minute contest to secure only his second victory over Zverev in eight meetings.

Davidovich Fokina was in danger of a straight-sets defeat when he came up with 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, he 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, who missed the North American hard-court swing in August because of injury, has now won nine consecutive matches in China after lifting his second tour-level title at the ATP 250 event in Chengdu last month.

But 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 year-end No.1 ranking after Jannik Sinner was sidelined for the remainder of the season with a knee injury.