The Spanish phenomenon, 19 years old, clearly beat Kopriva in the round of 16 with a score of 7-5 6-0
Next Gen draws another number to challenge the top of the ranking. At Indian Wells Joao Fonseca forced Sinner into two tough tie breaks, giving in only after two hours of play. This time, in Madrid, it’s the turn of home idol Rafa Jodar: like the Brazilian, he was born in 2006 and is the latest prodigy among the teenagers on the circuit, the protagonist of a sensational rise in the rankings. A year ago he was ranked at 687, this time at his home tournament he showed up at number 42 in the world and according to the live rankings he has already entered the top 35. Now, in the quarterfinals, his baptism of fire is served against Jannik. After all, if you are nineteen years old, the concept of “matriculation exam” should occupy the first place in the ranking of thoughts.
solid
—
In Madrid the home teenager made an envious amount of awareness: one “Vamos” after another to leave behind De Jong, De Minaur (with a 6-3 6-1 that allowed no replies), Fonseca himself and, in the round of 16, Kopriva. Against the Czech he played the role of the over-favourite for perhaps the first time in his career and started with the handbrake on. The first set bears witness to this: Kopriva more casual in search of depth even at the cost of messing up here and there in response, Jodar decidedly conservative. But solid at the moment of risk: at 3-3 the Iberian’s serve was jammed, granting two break points to his opponent and at the same time managing to defuse them. Rafa chose to fuel from distance, then going on to take the decisive break at 6-5: Kopriva did his part with an avoidable double fault, the Spaniard did the rest with a poisonous backhand pass and a timely finish at the net.
repertoire
—
Jodar needed a fresh injection of confidence like the one in the first set, because in the second set there was no story: break to zero at the start, further break to take the lead to 4-0 by displaying a lively repertoire of dumps and backhands down the line. The opponent’s positioning on the second serve is also interesting, always far forward trying to take time away from Kopriva when coming off serve. He won’t steal the attention (yet) 100%, but he was always right about the sliding doors of the match, if it’s true that against the Czech it ended 7-5 6-0: management of the match like a vixen on the circuit, rather than an adolescent. And the crowd of players in the stands (among which Jude Bellingham stood out who has been following him since his debut match in Madrid) applauded him with conviction.
only one knockout
—
Rafa is a convinced fighter and knows how to sting like a bee: in Madrid he was often able to find the break on the first attempt in the set, showing malice and scalpel at the right time. And then, as can be imagined, he is in great form: in the last 13 games he has lost only once, against another devil like Arthur Fils who is regaining positions in the rankings at a supersonic pace. For the rest Jodar he has always and only won: the streak has already earned him an unforgettable ATP laurel like the one at Easter, in Marrakech. But in his heart, from now on, he will also keep the memory of Madrid.
a broken record
—
Jodar now gives himself the challenge with the number 1 on the circuit, always followed with admiration: “I think Sinner is a great player: the model to follow for me”. Di Jannik has already broken a record: by overtaking De Minaur the other day he became the youngest to win against a top 10 in a Masters 1000 as a wild card. Also pushing the Spaniard, like another particularly promising Rafa in the past, will be the crowd, incandescent during the match with Fonseca: “For me it’s special to play at home in front of so many people and many friends. I’m very happy with the level shown against Kopriva. The match with Sinner? It will be an opportunity: I have to prepare the match in the best possible way. Because it will be really tough”. Guaranteed popcorn.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
