Davidovich Fokina rallies past Zverev to reach Shanghai final

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina rallied from a set down to defeat Alexander Zverev in the Shanghai Masters semifinal on October 17, booking a place in the final with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 victory. The Spaniard will face either Daniil Medvedev or Rafael Jodar for the title. Zverev, the top seed, took the opening set, but Davidovich Fokina leveled the match by breaking him late in the second. The Spaniard then moved ahead in the deciding set. Zverev saved two match points, but Davidovich Fokina closed out the win. The result extends Davidovich Fokina’s winning streak in China to nine matches. He won the Chengdu title three weeks earlier and has now reached his second Masters 1000 final, matching his best result at that level, set at Monte Carlo in 2022. Reports said he is expected to return to the top 15 on Monday. Davidovich Fokina, ranked 26th, had won one of his previous seven meetings with Zverev before the semifinal. He said after the match that he focused on each point and felt physically stronger in the third set. An early break in the decider, he said, gave him confidence to keep playing. Zverev’s Shanghai run ended in the semifinals after wins over Wu Yibing, Quentin Halys,...