World No. 1 Jannik Sinner demonstrated his composure and skill on Wednesday by edging out 19-year-old wild‑card entrant Rafael Jodar 6-2, 7-6 (7-0) in the quarter‑finals of the Madrid Open. The victory not only secured his place in the last four but also made him the sixth player in history to reach the semifinals of every single ATP Masters 1000 event. From the first serve, the 24‑year‑old Italian imposed a disciplined rhythm.
He broke the home favourite twice in the opening set, racing to a 5-2 lead before sealing the set with a powerful backhand winner that left the crowd in awe. Jodar, fresh off his maiden tour title in Morocco earlier this month, showed flashes of brilliance, especially in the second set where he surged ahead 4-2, threatening to overturn the match. Sinner, however, remained unfazed. He saved two break points to level the score at 3-3 and then, after a double fault from the Italian gave Jodar another chance, Sinner responded with a crisp cross‑court forehand and two sharp backhand winners that brushed the sideline, denying the Spaniard another break.
The Italian then raced to a 40-15 advantage in the following game, only for Jodar to fight back and save three break points of his own before finally clinching the game. The momentum swung back to Sinner, who, bolstered by his recent success at the Monte‑Carlo Masters, began to dominate the tie‑break.
He unleashed a series of forehand drives that Jodar simply could not reach, closing the set 7-0 and sealing a straight‑sets win. In the post‑match interview with Sky Sports Tennis, Sinner praised his opponent, saying, "He's an incredible player. Spain has another amazing talent and it’s great for the sport.
I knew before the match that it would be a tough challenge, especially here on these courts. He knows the conditions inside out, but I managed to stay a step ahead, 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 it paid off." Looking ahead, Sinner will face either France’s rising star Arthur Fils or Czech hopeful Jiri Lehecka in the semifinals, a match scheduled for later on Wednesday.
The women's draw also produced a historic moment in Madrid. Anastasia Potapova, a Russian‑born Austrian who entered the tournament as a lucky loser after falling in qualifying, became the first lucky loser ever to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal. 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 run has been nothing short of spectacular. After qualifying disappointment, she turned the tables by dispatching former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and then world No. 2 Elena Rybakina, showcasing a blend of power, precision, and mental resilience. When asked if she ever imagined being among the final four after her earlier loss, she responded, "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 have to make the most of it. I’m overjoyed; 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 that culminated in a decisive ace for her tenth serve point of the match, after which she collapsed to her knees in relief.
Reflecting on missed opportunities, she admitted, "I had a few match points in the second set on my serve and couldn’t manage my nerves at the time. But this tournament keeps giving me second chances and I keep taking them." Potapova’s semifinal opponent will be Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, who dispatched Linda Noskova 7-6 (7-1), 6-0 earlier in the day. Kostyuk, who eliminated Potapova in the fourth round of the previous year’s Madrid Open, enters the match undefeated on clay this season.
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