Jannik Sinner changes pace and scrambles Rafael Jodar in first set in Madrid
The match between Jannik Sinner and Rafael Jodar kicks off in Madrid on the Manolo Santana Stadium, with the roof closed and a good crowd presence. It is the Spaniard who starts on serve. The start is interesting: Jodar immediately appears focused and solid, while Sinner goes through some moments of adaptation but without taking any real risks. The first games flow in balance and the score settles at 1-1. It continues along the same lines in the following games. Sinner adopts a more cautious attitude than usual, while Jodar plays with courage and without fear. The Italian has to nullify a break point, then manages to hold serve and take the lead to 2-2.
After all, the presence of the roof is not a minor detail: as Marca had pointed out on the eve of the match, Sinner boasts extraordinary numbers indoors, with 91 wins in 112 indoor matches and a success rate of 81.3%. For Jodar, on the other hand, it is still an unfamiliar context: just four career matches played indoors, with a record of two wins and two losses.
The setting of the challenge also tells of a tournament experienced with special anticipation. Jodar made it to the quarters in his third career Masters 1000, eliminating in order Jesper de Jong, top 10 Alex de Minaur, Brazilian Joao Fonseca, and finally Czech Vit Kopriva with a clear 7-5, 6-0. A path that made them forget, at least temporarily, the absence of Carlos Alcaraz, who was stuck in the pits with a wrist problem. Boris Becker had already sentenced: “He reminds me of Sinner, he is a very complete player.”
In the fifth game came the turning point: Sinner raised the level and won the break thanks to a spectacular point, closed with a long backhand of great precision. After wasting two chances, she takes advantage of the third break point and goes up to 3-2. From that moment the inertia changes sharply. Sinner gets a second break, this time at zero, taking advantage of an obvious drop by Jodar. The Spaniard takes the blow and finds himself down 5-2, with the Italian now in full control of the set. That he closes on 6-2.
It is no coincidence that the script of the first set closely resembles the one staged just a day earlier against Cameron Norrie: on that occasion, too, Sinner closed the opening partial 6-2, imposing his law with his backhand and commanding from the center of the court. A tactical signature that is being repeated consistently in the Madrid tournament. For Jodar, on the other hand, it was a start that confirmed what Diego Nargiso, a former Italian tennis player now Senior Sport Manager at the Polytechnic University of Turin, anticipated when asked on the eve of the match: “I would try to stay on the court as long as possible to understand as much as possible where I am compared to Jannik Sinner’s level. Every point, every minute is precious for his growth.”
