A year ago, he was ranked 903; now he makes tennis history at Shanghai Masters, ranked 13

A year ago, Rafael Jodar was ranked outside the world's top 900. Today, the 20 year old Spaniard is rewriting tennis history.

And if there is one thing his opponents have learned at the Shanghai Masters, it is that winning the first set against him means very little.

Jódar produced his fourth consecutive comeback victory at the tournament on Friday, defeating former world No. 2 Casper Ruud 4- 6, 6-4, 6-3 to become the youngest semifinalist in Shanghai Masters history.

The remarkable victory took two hours and 20 minutes, with Jódar breaking Ruud's serve five times across the final two sets.

From world No. 903 to No. 13

What makes Jodar's achievement even more special is his extraordinary rise.

Ranked No. 903 a little over a year ago, the Spaniard has climbed to world No. 13 in his first full season on the ATP Tour.

He broke into the top 50 in April after winning his maiden ATP title in Morocco and reaching the semifinals in Barcelona.

He followed that with quarterfinal appearances in Madrid, Rome and the French Open.

Shanghai is already his fifth semifinal of the season and his second at Masters 1000 level.

Four matches, four comebacks

Jódar's Shanghai campaign has been remarkable for another reason.

He has lost the opening set in each of his four matches but somehow found a way to win every time.

Against Ruud, he once again refused to give up.

"I'm super happy how the season is going," Jodar told reporters.

But the youngster knows there is still room for improvement.

He now faces former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev, who defeated Tommy Paul in three sets, for a place in the final.

Medvedev, the 2019 Shanghai champion, has already acknowledged the youngster's powerful game.

For Jódar, another victory would take him one step closer to his biggest title yet.

And judging by what we have seen in Shanghai, nobody should write him off, even if he loses the first set.