Alejandro Davidovich Fokina produced one of the biggest results of his season on Saturday, defeating Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters to reach the biggest final of his career.
The Spaniard came through a hard fought contest against the German second seed, overturning the form book in a match that swung several times before Davidovich Fokina closed it out. The win marks his deepest run yet at a Masters 1000 event and continues a strong stretch of form through the Shanghai draw.
Zverev, who had been among the tournament favourites, struggled to find consistency on serve at key moments, with Davidovich Fokina capitalising on the openings to control the match's rhythm. The Spaniard's aggressive baseline game and improved composure under pressure have been recurring themes of his run through the tournament.
The result sets up a final appearance that few would have predicted at the start of the week, and adds Davidovich Fokina's name to the list of players to have beaten a top ranked opponent on the Shanghai hard courts this year. Attention now turns to the final, where he will face a stiff test against whoever emerges from the tournament's other semi-final.
