Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beats Rafael Jodar to win Shanghai Masters

The 25th seed claimed his third title of the year and first at Masters 1000 level after recovering from a set and a break down to end Jodar's impressive run. The victory also extended his winning streak in China to 10 matches following his triumph at the Chengdu Open last month.

Jodar, the 12th seed, looked firmly in control early on, breaking twice in the opening set to race into a 5-1 lead before wrapping it up in just 27 minutes. The 20-year-old, who had beaten Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals, dominated the longer rallies and gave Davidovich Fokina little opportunity to respond.

However, the 27-year-old refused to surrender. After falling a break behind at 3-2 in the second set, he immediately broke back, producing an outstanding backhand pass while chasing down a drop shot before celebrating by falling onto his back.

Jodar continued to threaten, but Davidovich Fokina repeatedly found a way to stay in contention, saving several break points before the set went to a tie-break. The Spaniard held his nerve to level the match, having also recovered from losing the opening set against Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals.

The momentum shifted further in the decider as Davidovich Fokina broke early, although Jodar briefly restored parity. The older Spaniard broke again for a 3-2 advantage and maintained control as his opponent began struggling physically.

Jodar called for medical assistance at 4-3, receiving treatment on his right thigh before appearing to hurt his left thigh in the following game. He continued fighting but could not prevent Davidovich Fokina from closing out the match on his second championship point.

The victory was particularly significant for Davidovich Fokina, who had lost the first five finals of his career, including the 2022 Monte Carlo Masters. His earlier titles this season came at Mallorca in June and Chengdu in September, both ATP 250 events.

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