Overview
- Jannik Sinner, who beat Madrid wild card Rafael Jódar on Wednesday, advanced with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-0) win after saving all seven break points.
- Sinner’s victory extends a rare streak as he has made the semifinals at every Masters 1000 played this season.
- Jódar’s first Masters 1000 quarterfinal followed wins over No. 8 Alex de Minaur, fellow teen Joao Fonseca and Vit Kopriva, earning him a warm ovation in Madrid.
- The 19-year-old has surged from the 900s into the top 50 in under a year, hits a flat, aggressive ball shaped by a season at the University of Virginia, and works with his father as sole coach.
- Sinner praised Jódar as “an incredible player” and now plays Arthur Fils in the semifinals, with the other match set between Alexander Blockx and No. 2 Alexander Zverev.