Alexander Zverev will compete in the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters for the first time since 2019 after he breezed past Alex de Minaur in straight sets on Thursday. 

Zverev, who is in the final four at the event for the third time in his career, needed one hour and 17 minutes to confirm his 6-4 6-4 win against the ninth seed. 

The two-time grand slam winner will face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for a spot in Sunday's showpiece after the Spaniard advanced from his tie with Arthur Gea, who retired with an injury.

Zverev laid the foundations for his victory with a break of serve in the fifth game with a huge forehand, though he had to save two break points of his own immediately afterwards. 

He was able to take the first set with the minimum of fuss, though De Minaur had the chance to get the better of his serve in the second, an opportunity he failed to take. 

And Zverev made the most of that reprieve with a break of serve before sealing his progression to the showpiece match with a blistering serve De Minaur failed to return. 

"I think it was a huge step up," Zverev, who could rise to the world number one spot for the first time as early as November 2, said after his win.

"I don't know what the numbers were, but from playing the match and just being on the court I felt both of us were playing really well.

"I was, a lot of the time, outhitting Alex, which is difficult to do from the baseline because he is so fast, and he loves this kind of court speed here.

"I felt good, and I'm happy with the step up from the past couple of matches."

The Shanghai dream is still alive @AlexZverev defeats De Minaur 6-4, 6-4 to reach the Rolex Shanghai Masters semi-finals for the third time. @SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters https://t.co/4J7ykMMODc

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 15, 2026

Zverev edges closer to personal best with another win

It has been a year to remember for Zverev, who ended his wait for a major title by winning the French Open and US Open earlier this year, but a Masters 1000 title has eluded him so far, with the closest he came being at the Madrid Open, where he lost out to Jannik Sinner. 

But he edged closer to more silverware after reaching his 28th career semi-final at ATP Masters 1000 events, trailing only Novak Djokovic (80) among currently active players for the most final fours reached in such events. 

In addition, he also claimed his 62nd ATP-level match win of 2026, the most of any player this season. Zverev's career-high in a calendar year came in 2024 (69), and given his current form, you would back him to surpass that. 

However, Zverev will face a stern test against a fresh Davidovich Fokina after Gea's unfortunate retirement. The Spaniard is in his fourth ATP Masters 1000 semi-final, and his second on hard court after Toronto in 2023.