Rafael Jodar beat Botic van de Zandschulp 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2 in two hours and 30 minutes on Wednesday to reach the Shanghai Masters quarter-finals. It was the 12th seed’s third straight comeback from a set down, and it keeps his Turin hopes alive.
Shanghai, China: Rafael Jodar has made falling behind a habit this week. On Wednesday he did it for the third match running, and for the third time he climbed back out of the hole.
A tie-break that went the other way
Van de Zandschulp, the Dutchman who had knocked out Arthur Fils in the previous round, saved two break points in the first set and won the tie-break. Jodar answered by taking the second set 6-4 and then the decider 6-2.
Afterwards he was matter-of-fact about the opening set. He felt he had been doing the right things, he said, but his opponent played the important points in the tie-break better.
Three comebacks in a row
The pattern is now hard to ignore. Jodar also came back from a set down against Thiago Agustin Tirante in the second round and against Jiri Lehecka in the third. This was the first meeting between Jodar and Van de Zandschulp, and Jodar’s first appearance in Shanghai. He reaches the last eight on his debut as the second-youngest quarter-finalist in Shanghai Masters history, behind Jakub Mensik, who was 19 when he got there in 2024.
It is his eighth tour-level quarter-final, and his 41st win against 16 defeats in 2026. The Spaniard, who demolished Alejandro Tabilo in Cincinnati in August, is in his first full season on tour.
Turin in sight
The result matters beyond Shanghai. Jodar is 11th in the Live ATP Race to Turin, 131 points behind tenth-placed Novak Djokovic, and is chasing a first place at the Nitto ATP Finals.
Ruud next
His quarter-final opponent is 20th seed Casper Ruud, who advanced earlier in the day when Felix Auger-Aliassime retired injured. The match is scheduled for Friday, October 16.
Result: Rafael Jodar (ESP, 12) bt Botic van de Zandschulp (NED) 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2 in 2h 30m
Event: Rolex Shanghai Masters (ATP Masters 1000), fourth round, Wednesday 14 October 2026
Next: Jodar v Casper Ruud (NOR, 20) in the quarter-finals
