Tennis-Clinical Sinner holds off wildcard Jodar to reach Madrid Open semis

World number one Jannik Sinner ​held off 19-year-old wildcard Rafael ​Jodar to win 6-2 ‌7-6(0) in ​the Madrid Open quarter-finals on Wednesday, becoming the sixth player to reach the semi-finals of all nine ‌ATP 1000 Masters tournaments.

World number one Jannik Sinner ​held off 19-year-old wildcard Rafael ​Jodar to win 6-2 ‌7-6(0) in ​the Madrid Open quarter-finals on Wednesday, becoming the sixth player to reach the semi-finals of all nine ‌ATP 1000 Masters tournaments. Sinner saved five break points in the second set and won 11 points in a row to secure victory over the Spaniard.

"He pushed me ‌to the limit, he's an incredible player... I'm incredibly happy, it's been ‌a very high quality match," Sinner said in his post-match interview. The 24-year-old produced a disciplined performance in the first set, breaking the local favourite twice to take a 5-2 lead, before ⁠sealing ​the set with a ⁠fierce backhand.

Jodar, who won his first tour title in Morocco this month, threatened to pull ⁠4-2 ahead in the second set, but Sinner saved two break points to stay ​level at 3-3. A double fault from the Italian put Jodar on the verge ⁠of another break, but Sinner saved three break points with a strong crosscourt forehand and two ⁠backhand ​winners that brushed the sideline.

Sinner went 40-15 up in the next game but Jodar saved three break points before taking it. Sinner, chasing his second ⁠claycourt title this season after winning the Monte-Carlo Masters, dominated the tiebreak and sealed ⁠victory with ⁠a forehand that Jodar could not reach.

Sinner's opponent in the semi-finals will be Arthur Fils or Jiri Lehecka, who play ‌later on ‌Wednesday.