French Open: Jodar rallies from two sets down to beat Busta, reaches maiden Grand Slam QF
Paris, May 31
Rafael Jodar continued his remarkable breakthrough campaign with a stirring comeback victory over compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta, recovering from two sets down to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final at Roland Garros on Sunday.
The 19-year-old Spaniard looked headed for defeat after dropping the opening two sets but responded in emphatic fashion, winning 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in a gripping three-hour, 41-minute battle on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
Busta, seeking a third Roland Garros quarter-final appearance, made the stronger start. The former world No. 10 controlled the early exchanges with his trademark consistency from the baseline, repeatedly exposing openings with his backhand to edge both the first and second sets by identical 6-4 scorelines.
With the experienced Spaniard firmly in command, Jodar needed a dramatic shift in momentum to keep his tournament alive. That turning point arrived at the start of the third set.
The teenager began playing with greater patience, cutting down on unforced errors and refusing to be drawn into rushed exchanges. The change in approach immediately paid dividends as he raced through the third set 6-1, suddenly swinging the momentum in his favour.
"It's difficult because he has a great backhand. When we're playing cross with the backhand, it's difficult to change because he's playing deep in the court. I tried not to rush the shots and not make a lot of unforced errors. I think that was the key in the first two sets, so I tried to change that," Jodar was quoted by ATP.
Busta's challenge became more complicated when he required a medical timeout on his right shoulder after the third set. Jodar capitalised on the opportunity, maintaining his intensity and powering through the fourth set 6-2 to force a decider.
The fifth set featured one final moment of danger for the youngster when he faced a 0-30 deficit early on serve. He survived the scare, held firm and gradually pulled away as Carreno Busta struggled to stem the tide.
Jodar closed out the deciding set 6-2 to complete his third five-set victory from as many attempts and continue a clay-court season that has transformed him into one of the Tour's most exciting young talents. The victory makes him only the fifth man this century to reach the Roland Garros quarter-finals on debut. It also continues a meteoric rise that has seen him climb from outside the world's top 700 a year ago to the brink of the ATP Top 20.
Jodar will next face either second seed Alexander Zverev or Dutch lucky loser Jesper de Jong for a place in the semi-finals.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Kuch bhi! The medical timeout after third set changed the momentum. Busta was literally up two sets and then got broken mentally. Not taking anything away from Jodar's mental strength, but this is why tennis needs better rules on injury breaks.
Five-set victories for fun at just 19! Spain's clay-court factory is churning champions again. Jodar's shot selection in the third set was pure class. Glad to see him adjust his game plan when things weren't working. 👌
Carreno Busta is a former top-10 player, so this is no fluke. Jodar showed incredible composure against an experienced opponent. His next match against Zverev will be the real test though.
As someone who watches tennis after dinner, this is exactly the kind of comeback that makes the French Open special. Jodar's evolution from 700th to top-20 in a year is the feel-good story of 2024. Rooting for him against Zverev! 🌹
Impressive stat: fifth man this century to reach Roland Garros QF on debut. Wonder if he has the stamina to go all the way. His game suits clay but Zverev is a different beast on this surface. Still, what a tournament for the kid!
V