Jodar sinks Lehecka, Fils survives Norrie's late charge to enter Montreal QF
Montreal, Aug 9
Rafael Jodar maintained his impressive run at the Canadian Open with a dominant 6-3, 6-3 victory over eighth-seeded Jiri Lehecka of Czechia to enter the quarterfinals.
The 19-year-old is now up to a career-high No. 13 on the ATP rankings after winning seven of his last eight matches. He has now reached three consecutive Masters 1000 quarter-finals dating back to Madrid during the clay season.
With the victory, Jodar advanced to his seventh quarter-final in the eight tournaments he has played since the start of April.
Jodar is competing at a career-high No. 15 in the ATP Rankings this fortnight after beginning the season outside the Top 100. The 19-year-old, who won his maiden tour-level title in Marrakech in April, is seeking his second title of the season in Montreal, where he is making his tournament debut.
Next up for Jodar will be a third meeting of the season with Arthur Fils, who won the pair's first meeting in Barcelona in April before Jodar gained his revenge last week in Washington.
Fils was a 6-2, 7-6(8) winner over Brit Cameron Norrie to wrap up play at IGA Stadium, converting on a sixth match point. This will be his fourth Masters 1000 quarter-final of the season after advancing to the final eight in Indian Wells, Miami and Madrid.
Elsewhere, Brandon Nakashima survived a dramatic mid-match suspension on Saturday in Montreal, returning to defeat Arthur Rinderknech 7-6(4), 5-7, 7-5.
At 4-4 in the final set of their clash at the Canadian ATP Masters 1000 event, both players were forced off court due to inclement weather. After a one-hour, 46-minute delay, Nakashima returned to close out a clutch victory and book his spot in the quarter-finals, ending a 0-5 record in previous Round-of-16 matches at this level, ATP reports.
Monday's first quarter-final matchup will pit Nakashima against No. 19 seed Italian Luciano Darderi, who earlier battled past Nuno Borges 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 to reach his 10th quarter-final of the season, becoming the first player to achieve that feat.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Lehecka is a solid player but Jodar made him look ordinary today. The young Spaniard's court coverage is incredible. And that Fils vs Norrie match must have been a thriller—six match points to close it out! These next gen players are pushing the sport to another level.
The way Nakashima came back after that long rain delay shows real mental toughness. Down 0-5 in previous round-of-16 matches at this level and still he found a way. Good to see him break that streak. Tennis is as much mental as it is physical sometimes.
Darderi reaching his 10th quarter-final of the season is quietly impressive—that consistency is what separates the top players from the rest. And I love that Fils vs Jodar rivalry is developing! They keep trading wins and it makes for great viewing.
Honestly, I think the tournament organizers should have better plans for weather delays. Two hours is a long time for players to sit around and then come back cold. But credit to Nakashima for handling it better than his opponent. Still, the match quality speaks for itself!
Seeing so many young players in the quarter-finals of a Masters event is refreshing. Jodar, Fils, Nakashima—the future of tennis is in good hands. And for Indian fans like me, it is fun to follow these new rivalries as they develop. Just wish we had more Indians on tour! 🇮🇳
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