Medvedev and Jodar reach Shanghai semis; Swiatek, Chwalinska advance in Wuhan Open
- Last updated: October 17, 2026 | 10:58
Former world number one Daniil Medvedev downed Tommy Paul 6-3 1-6 6-3 in the Shanghai Masters quarter-finals on Friday, while Spaniard Rafael Jodar toppled Casper Ruud 4-6 6-4 6-3 to become the youngest semi-finalist in the tournament’s history.
Russian fifth seed Medvedev fired 16 aces and 31 winners in a two-hour and eight-minute contest against the 15th-seeded American to reach the 70th tour-level semi of his career and strengthen his bid for a place at the ATP Finals in Turin.
The 30-year-old regrouped after dropping the second set and took control in the decider, capitalising on a dip in Paul’s level to improve to 5-1 in their career meetings.
Medvedev next faces Jodar for the first time, while twice Grand Slam champion and top seed Alexander Zverev meets Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the other semi-final.
“He has a great game,” Medvedev said of Jodar. “He hits very strong, so it is going to be fun to see it in real life, to get the feel.
“If I am playing well, I am tough to beat and that is what I am going to try to do.”
Medvedev won his third title of the season in Hangzhou last month and is the only former Shanghai champion remaining in the draw, having lifted the trophy in 2019.
Jodar, 20, secured his fourth consecutive comeback victory from a set down at the ATP Masters 1000 event, extending a dream run on his Shanghai debut.
The 12th seed broke 20th-seeded Norwegian Ruud five times across the final two sets to wrest control of a tight encounter.
After seizing the crucial break for 5-4 in the second set and serving it out to love, Jodar elevated his game in the decider, breaking the former world number two Ruud three more times to seal victory in two hours and 20 minutes.
The latest milestone in Jodar’s breakthrough season also strengthened his chances of qualifying for the ATP Finals in his first full year on the ATP Tour.
Ranked 903 in the world little more than a year ago, Jodar surged into the top 50 in April after capturing his maiden ATP title in Morocco and reaching the semi-finals in Barcelona.
Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek kept up her bid for a WTA Finals place with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Ann Li on Friday that set up an all-Polish semi-final at the Wuhan Open.
The six-time Grand Slam champion will face Maja Chwalinska for a place in the final. Swiatek is chasing one of the last two remaining spots in the eight-player line-up at next month’s WTA Finals in Indian Wells and took another step forward by reaching the Wuhan semis for the first time in her career.
“For sure it’s great that we have two Polish players in the semi-finals,” said Swiatek of her upcoming clash with childhood friend Chwalinska.
It had been a banner week for 26-year-old Li, who stunned world number two Aryna Sabalenka in the second round and recorded the 100th tour-level victory of her career in the third round to reach a maiden WTA 1000 quarter-final.
The American world number 31 gave Swiatek a hard time in the opening set. But despite committing 21 unforced errors and facing three break points, Swiatek hung onto the one-break gap she created early on and took a one-set lead in 56 minutes.
Swiatek made a strong start to the second set and never let go, as she moved into her fourth WTA 1000 semi-final of the year.
French Open finalist Chwalinska reached her first WTA 1000 semi-final with a 6-0, 3-6, 7-5 triumph over Greece’s Maria Sakkari.
“I think it would be great for us and great for Polish tennis as well,” Chwalinska said of her Saturday meeting with Swiatek.
Earlier, Sonay Kartal claimed the second top-10 win of her career and guaranteed herself a return to the top 100 with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Ukrainian world number six Elina Svitolina.
The first British player to make the semi-finals in Wuhan, Kartal missed six months of action this season with a spinal stress fracture before returning to competition three weeks ago.
Her impressive return to form this week saw her dismiss three consecutive seeds in her last three rounds and she will now face 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko for a place in the final.
Agencies