Jódar fights back to beat Lehečka, reaches Shanghai last 16 on debut

Rafael Jódar keeps finding answers. The 20-year-old Spaniard came from a set down to beat Jiří Lehečka 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 in the third round of the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Monday, reaching the last 16 on his debut at the tournament.

The win was Jódar's 40th of the season, according to the Spanish newspaper El Debate, and it came against an opponent in strong form: Lehečka arrived in Shanghai fresh from reaching the final in Tokyo, where he met Carlos Alcaraz.

Lehečka starts strong

The Czech, ranked No. 16 and seeded 22nd, made the better start. His flat first serve was hard to read and his forehand set the tone, and an early break in the third game was enough for him to take the opening set 6-4.

The match never developed much rhythm, with errors from both sides, but the turning point came late in the second set. Lehečka had a break point at 5-5 that would have put him on the verge of victory, El Debate reported, but Jódar held firm and then produced his best returning of the day in the tie-break, which he dominated 7-2.

Clean third set seals it

In the decider, the 12th seed had to dig in again, saving a series of break points on his own serve to stay level. According to the Infobae report, Jódar did not commit a single unforced error in the third set – a remarkable statistic in a match that had been scrappy for long stretches.

The pressure eventually told on Lehečka. Jódar broke at the end of the set, finding a cross-court backhand on the decisive point, according to Canal Tenis, and closed out the match to stay unbeaten against the Czech. Their only previous meeting came at the Canadian Masters this summer, which Jódar won 6-3, 6-3.

Jódar, ranked No. 13 in the world, had already reached the third round in straight sets against Thiago Agustín Tirante. Monday's comeback extended what has been a breakthrough year for the Spaniard.

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Van de Zandschulp next – and a Turin subplot

His next opponent is Botic van de Zandschulp. The Dutchman, ranked No. 41, upset eighth seed Arthur Fils 7-5, 6-4 later on Monday, after the Frenchman failed to convert any of his seven break points in the opening set.

That result also matters for Jódar's end-of-season ambitions. According to Eurosport, the Spaniard sits 11th in the Race to Turin, with Fils sixth. Fils' early exit means Jódar has a chance to close the gap at a time when only a handful of big events remain before the ATP Finals in mid-November.

For now, the immediate goal is simpler. With Fils and Lehečka both out of this section, the winner of Jódar against Van de Zandschulp will be a quarter-finalist in Shanghai.