Rafael Jódar Camacho claimed his second-round match at the Shanghai Masters against Thiago Agustín Tirante 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. The Spaniard found himself behind early on before raising his level significantly to win their first-ever meeting in three sets.
Tirante made the stronger start
Thiago Agustín Tirante capitalised on his early control of the match and took the opening set, leaving Jódar Camacho staring at a 4-6 deficit. The Argentine also had the advantage of match sharpness: he had already played a first-round match in Shanghai, while Jódar Camacho was entering the tournament for the first time after receiving a bye.
It was also the first meeting between the two players at any level — neither on the ATP Tour nor on the Challenger circuit had they previously faced each other. The Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena was equally unfamiliar territory for both. Tirante, ranked 54th in the world, initially made the most of the momentum he had built from his solid start to the tournament.
Jódar Camacho flips the match
After switching ends, Rafael Jódar Camacho found his rhythm from the baseline. He stepped up his returning and increasingly forced Tirante into difficult decisions. The Spaniard took the second set 6-2 to level the match.
Crucially, Jódar Camacho converted his opportunities more consistently and held serve with greater assurance. Tirante, meanwhile, lost his edge — despite finishing the match with five aces and 22 winners. The turnaround was less about spectacular individual points and more about the Spaniard's superior consistency when it mattered most.
Third set goes to the Spaniard
In the deciding set, Rafael Jódar Camacho maintained his momentum. He kept rallies under control from the baseline, stayed sharp on return and held his own in extended exchanges. The third set went to Jódar Camacho 6-3, sealing the victory.
The match statistics reflected the tight opening and the subsequent shift in momentum. Jódar Camacho won 52 per cent of total points and landed 63 per cent of his first serves, winning 68 per cent of those points. Tirante was more efficient on his first serve, but was unable to sustain that advantage throughout the match.
A significant win for Jódar Camacho
The victory carried added weight for Rafael Jódar Camacho given the difficult run he had endured heading into Shanghai. In Tokyo, he had fallen in the first round to Adolfo Daniel Vallejo. In Shanghai, the Spaniard entered as a seeded player and world number 13, but still had to earn the win over Tirante the hard way — by fighting back after dropping the opening set.
Jódar Camacho had already enjoyed a remarkable 2026, claiming his first ATP title in Marrakech, reaching the quarterfinal at Roland Garros and making his debut in a Masters 1000 semifinal in Montreal. His win over Tirante was a further demonstration of his ability to turn a match around tactically and mentally after an difficult start.
