Top seed Alexander Zverev fell to a relentless Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the Shanghai Masters semi-finals on Saturday after a tense three-set battle. The world No. 26 fought back to win 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 and will face either Daniil Medvedev or fellow Spaniard Rafael Jodar in Sunday’s final. The 27-year-old Spaniard combined grit, lightning-fast returns and deft drop shots to stun the German, who is set to end the year as world No. 1.
“I was a little bit nervous,” Davidovich Fokina said of his shaky start.
Top seed Alexander Zverev fell to a relentless Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the Shanghai Masters semi-finals on Saturday after a tense three-set battle.
Davidovich Fokina earned his first break point in the fourth game, but Zverev held serve when the Spaniard’s return found the net. Zverev saved two match points, but the reprieve proved only temporary as Davidovich Fokina closed out a memorable victory.
“But I kept going, I kept fighting, every ball,” he said. “I think a break is quite necessary now,” the 29-year-old told reporters, adding that he would assess his fitness ahead of the tournament in Vienna that begins on October 24. “I carried a little bit of injury, I carried fatigue into the tournament, and I’m okay to lose to a player like this today,” said Zverev, who had discomfort in his ankle at times during the Shanghai event. The pressure eventually told, and Davidovich Fokina secured the decisive break before forcing the match into a deciding set.
