Twenty-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar advanced to the third round of the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Saturday by defeating Thiago Agustin Tirante 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 on his tournament debut.
Jodar dropped the opening set before recovering to win 93 per cent of his first-serve points in the second set. In the deciding set, he saved all six break points he faced to secure the victory. The win moves the World No. 13 into a third-round meeting with Jiri Lehecka, who defeated Nuno Borges 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
The Spaniard entered Shanghai looking to rediscover his form after suffering first-round exits at the US Open and in Tokyo last week, either side of a Laver Cup win against Alexander Bublik. His breakthrough 2026 season includes climbing from outside the Top 100 in January, capturing his first tour-level title in Marrakech, and reaching his maiden major quarter-final at Roland Garros.
Jodar currently sits 11th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as he attempts to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. He is bidding to become just the third player, following Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas, to compete at the year-end event the season after playing at the Next Gen ATP Finals.
Medvedev and Auger-Aliassime Battle Through
Fifth seed Daniil Medvedev also rallied from a set down on Saturday, defeating Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to improve to 10-2 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. Medvedev has earned 31 hard-court wins in 2026, a run bolstered by titles in Dubai, Brisbane, and Hangzhou.
The 2019 Shanghai champion will face Tomas Martin Etcheverry or Dalibor Svrcina in the next round. Medvedev stands eighth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, aiming for his seventh appearance at the season finale after missing out last year.
Fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime joined them in the third round after overcoming Camilo Ugo Carabelli 4-6, 7-6(1), 7-5. The Canadian squandered a 5-2 lead in the second set before recovering to take the tie-break and eventually breaking in the 11th game of the decider. Auger-Aliassime, positioned 14th in the Live Race To Turin, will next meet Alejandro Tabilo or Pablo Carreno Busta.
Fritz Advances Under the Roof
Taylor Fritz secured a straight-sets victory over Matteo Arnaldi 7-5, 6-4 in a match played under the roof on Grandstand 2 due to rain. Fritz is currently 12th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.
| Player | Shanghai Result | Live Race To Turin Position |
|---|---|---|
| Daniil Medvedev | Def. Jan-Lennard Struff (4-6, 6-4, 6-3) | 8th |
| Taylor Fritz | Def. Matteo Arnaldi (7-5, 6-4) | 12th |
| Rafael Jodar | Def. Thiago Agustin Tirante (4-6, 6-2, 6-3) | 11th |
| Felix Auger-Aliassime | Def. Camilo Ugo Carabelli (4-6, 7-6(1), 7-5) | 14th |
