Saturday 15 October 2016 13:24, UK
Roberto Bautista Agut stunned world No 1 Novak Djokovic to reach his first Masters final with a 6-4 6-4 victory at the Shanghai Masters.
Spain's Bautista Agut, playing in just his second Masters semi-final, had never beaten Djokovic in five previous meetings but produced a superb display to see off the Serb in straight sets and seal a spot in the most high-profile final of his career.
Djokovic had not been tested in his opening couple of matches but had to battle back from a set down before eventually seeing off world No 110 Mischa Zverev in Friday's quarter-final and he was below his best again.
At one point the 12-time Grand Slam champion ripped his shirt in frustration and halted the match to change it, but world No 19 Bautista Agut was undaunted.
Having claimed the first set with a crucial break in the final game of the set, Bautista Agut claimed a dramatic second set with a stunning passing shot up the line.
A break from the Spaniard had opened up a 4-2 lead, but a lapse in concentration and the pressure of playing the top-ranked Djokovic allowed the Seb to break straight break. But 28-year-old Bautista Agut struck back again to serve for the match at 5-3.
A dramatic ninth game of the set lasting more than 12 minutes see-sawed both ways with Djokovic seeing three break points go begging with Bautista Agut wasting three match points before Djokovic finally sealed it with for a fourth successive break.
But in the end it was Bautista Agut who prevailed, striking with his fourth match point but first on the fast-fading Djokovic serve to advance to his fourth final of the year.
He will next face either Andy Murray or Gilles Simon in the final on Sunday, the pair meet in the second semi-final on Saturday which you can see on Sky Sports 3 from 1pm.
