Spectacular Comeback by 19-Year-Old: Jódar Shocks Shapovalov
The Spaniard trailed 1-5 in the third set in Cincinnati, then won six straight games to reach the third round of the Masters 1000.
The Spaniard trailed 1-5 in the third set in Cincinnati, then won six straight games to reach the third round of the Masters 1000.
Rafa Jódar, a 19-year-old Spanish tennis player, achieved the biggest comeback of his young professional career in the second round of the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati. After nearly three hours of battle, he defeated Canada's Denis Shapovalov 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, saving two match points and overcoming a large deficit in the deciding set.
Shapovalov led 5-1 in the third set with two breaks of serve, and it seemed the match was over. The Canadian served for the match twice and had two match points, but Jódar refused to give up. The Spaniard broke back twice, won six consecutive games, and turned the set around to a final 7-5, while Shapovalov watched his game fall apart in disbelief.
The tension grew further due to interruptions caused by Jódar's shoelaces breaking, which the Canadian criticized after the match. "That's a situation I can't control," Jódar told ABC.es after the match, adding that he even had to ask his father for help. He had a similar issue at the previous tournament in Washington.
Jódar, the youngest player in the draw, has 35 wins this season, with only Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner having more. In the last eight tournaments, he has reached at least the quarterfinals seven times, including a final in Washington and a semifinal at his first Masters 1000 in Montreal.
His record in three-set matches is 14-3, which explains the mental toughness that has become his trademark. In the next round, he faces Chile's Alejandro Tabilo, with the winner advancing to the round of 16 in Cincinnati.
