Jodar, 20, Becomes Youngest Shanghai Semifinalist and Sets Up Medvedev Clash

Rafael Jodar became the youngest semifinalist in Shanghai Masters history on Friday, October 16. The 20-year-old Spaniard rallied past Casper Ruud 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals. He will play Daniil Medvedev for a place in the final.

Medvedev, a former world number one, beat the American Tommy Paul 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 in the other quarterfinal played on Friday. The Russian fifth seed is the only former Shanghai champion left in the draw. He won the title in 2019.

Four comebacks in a row for Jodar

Jodar lost the first set for the fourth straight match at this tournament, and he won for the fourth straight time. It is his first run at the Shanghai Masters, an ATP Masters 1000 event, and this is his first full year on the ATP Tour.

Ruud, a former world number two from Norway, held the early edge. He took the opener 6-4 and protected his serve well in the first set. Jodar said after the match that Ruud handled the key points better early on, and that the Norwegian's serve kept shutting down his break chances.

The match turned late in the second set. Jodar broke for 5-4 and then served the set out without dropping a point. In the third set he broke Ruud three more times and closed the win in two hours and 20 minutes. Across the last two sets he broke serve five times.

Medvedev steadies after a lost set

Medvedev started fast against Paul, the 15th seed. He took the first set 6-3, then lost his range in the second and dropped it 1-6. He reset in the third, served better and took the match in two hours and eight minutes. He hit 16 aces and 31 winners.

The win was the 70th tour-level semifinal of Medvedev's career. It also helps his push for a place at the ATP Finals in Turin. He won his third title of the season in Hangzhou last month.

Medvedev praised Jodar's power after the match and said the semifinal would be a first meeting between them. He said a player who hits that hard is hard to handle when he finds his rhythm, and that he would need his best level.

The other semifinal

Top seed Alexander Zverev, a two-time Grand Slam champion, plays the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the other semifinal. The winners of the two matches meet in the Shanghai final.

For Jodar, the week has already changed his season. A 20-year-old on his tournament debut has beaten a former world number two from a set down, set a record no younger player at this event has matched, and put himself one win from a Masters 1000 final in his first full year on tour. The semifinal against Medvedev is the hardest test he has faced. Medvedev has been in this round 69 times before.