Jódar celebrates its arrival in the top 10 in style
The Spanish tennis player has debuted with
Rafa Jódar has made a stunning debut in the top 10 of the ATP ranking, winning with a decisive victory against Alejandro Tabilo at the ATP Paris by a score of 6-2 and 6-3 after 1 hour and 17 minutes. Furthermore, this victory allows him to keep his hopes of making it to the ATP Finals in Turin, which will take place in a few days.
Jódar had a lot of pressure on his shoulders in this match, as he knows he needs to perform well in Paris to qualify for Turin, given that he is in a fierce battle against players like Alex De Miñaur and Novak Djokovic. However, there was no sign of nerves in the Spaniard's game, who was clearly superior to Tabilo and excelled, especially in returning, hitting winners of all kinds. A victory that is a strong statement and a warning to others.
Jódar wins 5 consecutive games and takes the first set
The match started with Jódar struggling with his serve, to the point that with the score at 1-1, Tabilo managed the break after a long game to take the lead. However, the Spaniard's reaction was immediate, achieving a break to love in the next game and winning his serve to lead 3-2 and shift the pressure to the other side of the court. In fact, this change of script confused Alejandro so much that he went on to lose his serve to love shortly after, largely thanks to Rafa's excellent play.
Moreover, since he was broken Jódar won 16 points out of the next 19, with stellar play and brutal returns that left Tabilo frustrated to the point of having another 15-40 chance with a 5-2 lead for his third consecutive break. Tabilo saved the first five set points, but on the sixth succumbed with a double fault and looked towards his bench with a bewildered expression.
Jódar puts the finishing touch on a stellar performance
The second set began very similarly to the first, and at 1-1 Tabilo had several break points, but this time Jódar managed to save them with several masterful points. What Tabilo couldn't avoid was the break in the following game, as Rafa pulled out a drop shot and a signature backhand to break to love once again. Normally, at that point, Alejandro would have checked out, but he didn't lose faith and managed the break in the next game on return, confirming it with his serve to make it 3-3.
The tension was at its peak, and that was when Jódar stepped up again to comfortably hold his serve, making it 4-3 and 30-40. However, he hit a backhand that went long. With another identical play, he earned a new break opportunity, but this time Tabilo hit a great serve to prevent the Spaniard from taking the lead. Still, after continuing to apply pressure and refusing to give up, he eventually found reward with a break that would be decisive to close out the match 6-3 and stay alive in the race for the ATP Finals in Turin, where qualification depends on him. A strong statement of intent from the young player from Madrid today.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Jódar celebra por todo lo alto su llegada al top 10