World No. 1 Jannik Sinner edged past 19‑year‑old wild‑card entrant Rafael Jodar with a 6‑2, 7‑6 (7‑0) victory in the quarter‑finals of the Madrid Open on Wednesday, securing his place as the sixth player in history to reach the semi‑final stage of all nine ATP Masters 1000 events. The Italian champion displayed remarkable composure in the second set, fending off five break points and then stringing together an eleven‑point run that effectively sealed the match against the home‑grown Spaniard.
In the opening set Sinner imposed a disciplined game plan, breaking Jodar twice to build a 5‑2 lead. He capped the set with a powerful backhand winner that left no doubt about his intent. Jodar, who had captured his maiden tour title in Morocco earlier this month, fought back in the second set, racing to a 4‑2 advantage. However, Sinner responded by saving two break points to bring the score to 3‑3, demonstrating his resilience under pressure.
A double fault from Sinner gave Jodar another opportunity to break, but the Italian quickly recovered, repelling three break points with a crisp cross‑court forehand and two backhand winners that skimmed the sideline. The momentum swung back and forth, with Sinner taking a 40‑15 lead in the following game, only for Jodar to save three more break points before finally breaking his opponent's serve. Sinner, who is chasing his second clay‑court title of the season after his triumph at the Monte‑Carlo Masters, dominated the ensuing tiebreak.
He closed it out with a forehand that Jodar could not reach, clinching the set 7‑0 and the match in straight sets. Looking ahead, Sinner's semi‑final opponent will be either France's rising star Arthur Fils or Czech hopeful Jiri Lehecka, who are scheduled to meet later on Wednesday.
After the win, Sinner spoke to Sky Sports Tennis about his opponent and the conditions: "He's an incredible player. Spain has another fantastic talent, and it's great for the sport. It was a tough challenge – I knew before the match that beating him would be difficult, especially here.
He's from Madrid, so he knows exactly how to play in these conditions. At the same time, I gained a little more experience in the second set, got a bit lucky at times, but I tried to keep the level as high as I could.
I'm happy with how I finished the match. I tried to raise my intensity a bit, play a little faster, and that helped me." In the women's draw, Anastasia Potapova made history by becoming the first lucky loser to reach a WTA 1000 semi‑final.
The Russian‑born Austrian, who fell in qualifying the week before, turned her unexpected main‑draw entry into a stunning 6‑1, 6‑7 (4‑7), 6‑3 win over former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova.
Potapova's run has been nothing short of spectacular. After qualifying disappointment, she seized her second‑chance entry and dispatched former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and world No.
2 Elena Rybakina in earlier rounds. When asked whether she ever imagined being among the final four after losing in qualifying, the unseeded Potapova replied, "No, I wouldn't have believed it for any amount of money. That's what makes our sport beautiful.
I was given a second chance and now I'm here. I'm super happy.
There's nothing better that could happen to me right now." The final set against Pliskova was a roller‑coaster. Potapova trailed 3‑1 but then rallied to win five consecutive games, sealing the match with her tenth ace before collapsing to her knees in relief.
She reflected on missed opportunities, saying, "I had a few match points in the second set on serve. I couldn't manage my nerves at the time, I know that.
But this tournament keeps giving me second chances and I keep using them." Potapova will face Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk in the semi‑finals after Kostyuk dispatched Linda Noskova 7‑6 (7‑1), 6‑0. Kostyuk, who eliminated Potapova in the fourth round of Madrid last year, remains unbeaten on clay this season.
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