Sakamoto talks about Jódar after his defeat: "I knew he wouldn't make it easy for me"

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One of the standout matches on Tuesday's schedule at the Australian Open was undoubtedly the one between Rafa Jódar and Rei Sakamoto. The Spaniard secured his first Grand Slam victory in a face-off against a player in a similar situation. The Japanese player discovered how challenging it is to deal with a five-set match for the first time in his career.

After winning the third and fourth sets, Sakamoto appeared to have the momentum in his favor and everything going his way. However, midway through the fifth set, he started experiencing physical issues in the form of leg cramps. Rafa, who himself had felt the weight of the match at the end of the fourth set, finished the match in better physical shape than his opponent. The Madrid native took advantage of this edge to claim his first victory at the Australian Open.

Sakamoto talks about Jódar after his defeat in Australia

“After losing the first two sets, I felt my focus drop. From that point on, I just had to concentrate on doing my thing. I was able to play more freely. Rafa's level dropped in the third set, and that's when I was able to capitalize and break his serve,” stated the Japanese player, who had also made it to the main draw after coming through the qualifying rounds.

“Both of us played very well. It was a great match. The difference was that he was slightly better physically in the final set. When my level dropped, that's when everything was decided. I knew that Jódar wouldn't make it easy for me. I had opportunities to break his serve at the end, but he served very well,” he added.

The Challenge of Facing a Fifth Set in a Grand Slam

“When the fifth set started, I was completely exhausted. I didn't want to think about it. I noticed, at the beginning, that his forehand was somewhat shaky, so I wanted to pressure him there, but I think I rushed too much in many instances. I opted to take too many risks instead of continuing to play crosscourt and force his errors. I left everything to chance,” analyzed the Japanese player.
“I'm a bit dazed right now. I even find it hard to remember some moments, but this is a match that will help me improve my abilities. I've learned that I need to retrieve more balls when moved around. I think I went too much on the attack and neglected my serve a lot. I believe this happens to me a lot. When I get tired, I relax my footwork and widen my stance. This way, I let balls pass that I could have gotten to earlier,” he concluded.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sakamoto habla de Jódar tras su derrota: "Sabía que no iba a ponérmelo fácil"