Rafael Jodar rallied from a set down once again to secure a spot in the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters, defeating Norway’s Casper Ruud 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Friday. The 20-year-old Spaniard, seeded 12th, broke Ruud’s serve five times over the final two sets in a match lasting two hours and 20 minutes, marking his fourth consecutive victory this season after dropping the opening set.

Jodar, the youngest semifinalist in the tournament’s history, finished with 28 winners and 31 unforced errors, outperforming Ruud by limiting errors by 10. Despite Ruud’s strong start and advantage early in the second set, Jodar reversed momentum by winning five of the last six games to move on.

“I was feeling great on court. I think it was a very close match,” Jodar said post-match. “Casper played the important points better in the first set, and I couldn’t convert break points due to his serve. I knew I had to come back again. It was very tough, so I had to give my best level today.”

Jodar's victory improves his season record to 42-16 during his first full campaign on the ATP Tour. The win also boosted his position in the race to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, moving him up to ninth place in the PIF ATP Live Race, overtaking Novak Djokovic and Alex de Minaur. With Jannik Sinner sidelined for the season, ninth place would likely be the final qualifying spot for the year-end championship.

“I’m super happy with how the season is going,” Jodar added. “I’m playing at a very high level but still have many areas to improve, which is good because it means I can become a better player. This being my first year on Tour, I want to keep pushing myself and perform well in the remaining tournaments.”

Jodar will face former champion and fifth seed Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals. Medvedev overcame 15th-seeded Tommy Paul in a three-set quarterfinal, winning 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. Medvedev recorded 16 aces and saved 11 of 14 break points, breaking Paul early in the deciding set and again to close out the match, which lasted two hours and eight minutes.

“Today, I was a bit off at times, but I played a great third set,” Medvedev reflected. “The second set was 6-1, but I made him work, and I was tired myself. I managed to regroup, serve better in the third set, and get the win, which feels great.”

The other semifinal scheduled for Saturday features No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany against Spain’s No. 25 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.