Daniil Medvedev beat Tommy Paul 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 in two hours and eight minutes in the Shanghai Masters quarter-finals on Friday, hitting 16 aces and closing on his second match point. The 2019 champion reaches his 70th tour-level semi-final and will face 20-year-old Rafael Jodar.
Shanghai, China: Daniil Medvedev has spent the week making hard matches look controlled, and on Friday he had to work for it. Against Tommy Paul the fifth seed lost a set, survived a barrage of break points and finished in two hours and eight minutes, with 16 aces and 31 winners carrying him through to the last four.
Seven break points in one game
The opening set was decided by a long sixth game in which Medvedev saved seven break points. He then broke Paul, and it was 6-3 to the Russian.
Paul answers back
The 15th-seeded American played much better in the second set. He broke Medvedev three times in a 6-1 set, defended well and sent the match into a decider.
A tense decider
The third set had its moments of tension. Medvedev double-faulted twice in a key game, but he steadied himself and broke Paul to take control. He closed the match on his second match point, 6-3, to move into a head-to-head lead of 5-1 over Paul. Afterwards he said he is tough to beat when he plays well, and that he was looking forward to facing Jodar, who he said hits the ball very hard.
Jodar awaits
Medvedev will meet Rafael Jodar in the semi-final, their first meeting. The 20-year-old Spaniard also became the event’s youngest semi-finalist when he came from a set down against Casper Ruud. The other semi-final pairs top seed Alexander Zverev with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Medvedev, who won the title in 2019, is the only former Shanghai champion left in the draw. He reached the last eight with a straight-sets win over Stefanos Tsitsipas, and the run keeps him in the hunt for a place at the ATP Finals in Turin. He won his third title of the season in Hangzhou last month.
Result: Daniil Medvedev (5) beat Tommy Paul (15) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 in 2h 08m.
Event: Rolex Shanghai Masters (ATP Masters 1000), quarter-final, Friday 16 October 2026.
Next: Semi-final against Rafael Jodar (12) on Saturday 17 October.
