The best Sinner blocks the Jódar phenomenon in Madrid

The Spanish tennis player Rafael Jódar woke up from his love affair with the Mutua Madrid Open by falling 6-2, 7-6(0) this Wednesday against the Italian Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals, a world number one who was too much for the local idol in the Caja Mágica and who is on his way to his fifth consecutive ATP Masters 1000.

The ‘Jódar phenomenon’, the emergence from the 900th in the world of a Madrid native who became a professional this season to the ‘Top 40’ this week, could not withstand a Sinner who, after winning in Monte Carlo, goes further than ever in Madrid. The one from San Candido took advantage of his options in the first set and, highly demanded by Jódar, brought out his best version in the second to seek Sunday’s final against the Frenchman Arthur Fils or the Czech Jiri Lehecka.

On the one hand, the consecrated number one. On the other, a 19-year-old Spaniard who, a newcomer, gained the attention of tennis with a rarely seen emergence, third round in Miami and champion in Marrakech a month ago. The poster responded like a roofed Manolo Santana to the threat of rain. The man from Madrid played face to face, even Sinner’s respect was noticeable, who did not start off at all well, in an exchange of break balls and an even start to the set.

The accumulation of tension took its toll in a Jódar with too many errors for the Italian not to take the lead, also showing that last resort or extra point from the back of the net to save another break ball. Sinner was left with a deceptive and hard-fought 6-2 from which the Spaniard wanted to turn the page.

This was demonstrated in the second set, fighting again in each exchange and minimizing those errors to add with the same authority as Sinner. Jódar’s attack raised the ‘yes, we can’ from the stands and the Italian saved a 15-40 and made it 3-3. Once again, the Madrid native put the best in the world on the ropes, but the Italian saved another 15-40 in spectacular fashion (4-4).

The champion of four ‘greats’ demonstrated his adaptation these days to the Manolo Santana and brought out his best tennis to block the path of a Jódar who at times made more than one imagine that it was another Sinner-Alcaraz Classic. The one from Leganés, with that image of total calm despite being shaking up the canons of tennis, defended his ground until securing the tie-break.

For a cold mind, that of Sinner, who finished wearing down the Spaniard in sudden death, completely closing the immediate door, although, without a doubt, Jódar will have Spanish tennis for a while. The Italian linked 26 consecutive victories in Masters 1000, in search of a historical record of five titles in a row in this category.

Sinner thus improved his 2024 quarterfinals, where he did not even play due to injury, to continue growing in the conditions of the Madrid tournament and the clay, a surface that is not his favorite but that is more friendly every day. Without Alcaraz due to injury on the horizon, the clear candidate also for Rome and Roland Garros.