World number one Jannik Sinner demonstrated his class on Wednesday by edging past 19‑year‑old wild‑card entrant Rafael Jodar with a 6‑2, 7‑6 (7‑0) victory in the Madrid Open quarter‑finals. The win not only propelled Sinner into the semi‑finals but also made him the sixth player in history to reach the last four of all nine ATP Masters 1000 events. From the first serve, the 24‑year‑old Italian displayed a disciplined, aggressive game plan. He broke Jodar twice in the opening set, racing to a 5‑2 lead before sealing the set with a powerful backhand winner that left the Spanish teenager scrambling.
The Spaniard, who captured his maiden tour title in Morocco earlier this month, fought back in the second set, pushing the score to 4‑2 and threatening to turn the tide. Sinner, however, remained unflappable.
He saved two break points to level the set at 3‑3 and then weathered a series of pressure moments. A double fault from Sinner gave Jodar a chance to break, but the Italian responded with a crisp cross‑court forehand and two backhand winners that clipped the sideline, denying the youngster the break. Shortly after, Sinner surged ahead 40‑15, only for Jodar to save three break points and claim the game, showing his resilience. The decisive moment arrived in the tiebreak.
Sinner, already on a roll after clinching his second clay title of the season at Monte‑Carlo, dominated the mini‑set, rattling off a series of forehand winners that Jodar could not retrieve. The Italian closed the tiebreak 7‑0, sealing a hard‑earned victory and a place in the semi‑finals where he will meet either Arthur Fils or Jiri Lehecka, the winners of the later quarter‑final match.
In post‑match comments to Sky Sports Tennis, Sinner praised his opponent, noting, "He’s an incredible player, and Spain now has another outstanding talent. It was a tough challenge – I knew before the match that beating him would be difficult, especially on these conditions. He knows how to play here, but I gained a bit more experience in the second set, got a little lucky at times, and tried to keep my level as high as possible.
I’m happy with how I finished the match; I tried to raise my intensity a bit, and that helped me." The tournament also delivered a historic moment on the women’s side. Anastasia Potapova, a Russian‑born Austrian who entered the main draw as a lucky loser after falling in qualifying, became the first lucky loser ever to reach a WTA 1000 semi‑final. She achieved this feat by defeating former world No.
1 Karolina Pliskova 6‑1, 6‑7 (4‑7), 6‑3 in a roller‑coaster encounter that saw her squander three match points before ultimately prevailing. Potapova’s remarkable run has already featured wins over former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and world No. 2 Elena Rybakina. When asked whether she ever imagined being among the final four after her qualifying loss, the unseeded player replied, "No, I wouldn’t have believed it for any amount of money.
That’s what makes our sport beautiful – you get a second chance and you make the most of it. I’m super happy; there’s nothing better that could happen to me right now." In the deciding set against Pliskova, Potapova trailed 3‑1 before launching a five‑game streak, culminating in a decisive ace that sent her opponent to the floor. Reflecting on her nerves, she admitted, "I had a few match points on my serve in the second set and couldn’t manage my nerves at the time.
But this tournament keeps giving me second chances, and I keep using them." Potapova’s next opponent will be Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, who dispatched Linda Noskova 7‑6 (7‑1), 6‑0 to claim the other semi‑final berth. Kostyuk, who eliminated Potapova in the fourth round of the Madrid Open last year, arrives undefeated on clay this season and will look to continue her dominant form. Both the ATP and WTA events are being broadcast live on Sky Sports, with additional streaming options available through the NOW platform and the Sky Sports app, offering subscribers over 50% more live sport at no extra charge. Fans can follow the remaining matches, including the upcoming semi‑finals, to see if Sinner can add another Masters 1000 title to his résumé and whether Potapova can complete a fairy‑tale run from lucky loser to champion.