A match between two tennis players of the same generation (they are only a few months apart), between Madrid residents from the same club, the Chamartín Tennisrivals and teammates since childhood. A duel between two 19-year-old boys who fight to make a place for themselves in the world of tennis; who are already there, as they are competing in the Next Gen ATP Finals, the under 20 Masters Tournament. Rafa Jódar beat Martín Landaluce (4-3 [9/7]4-1 y 4-3 [7/2]). Despite his great performance in Jeddah, It is not enough to qualify for the semi-finals. for a triple tie and a carom.
The strange score is not an error, it is that this tournament is used to carry out tests that, perhaps, will be added to the circuit: The matches are five sets, but the one who reaches four games wins, with a difference of two; If 3-3 is reached there is a traditional tie-break and the 40-40 is decided with a golden point. There are more new features such as not changing sides in the first game, 90 seconds of rest instead of 120 at the end of the set, eight seconds maximum between the first and second serve and fifteen to make the first if the previous point had less than three strokes. They want everything to go faster, to try to be in line with today’s society, but the tennis players are not convinced because what makes their sport epic and legendary are the long matches.
Jódar aims for the Australian Open preview
Everything is going fast, and the track is too, but we are seeing spectacular points and good exchanges. The clash between Spaniards was the reunion of two old friends. Landaluce took off before a certain point, but Rafa is already there after a year in which he has combined Challenger tournaments with the university ones in the United States. He has not played an ATP tournament yet, but it will not take long for him to try, because He already has a ranking to compete in the Australian Open preview. Landaluce took the tournament, in which he was a reserve last year, almost as another part of the preseason after a complicated year, and it has been difficult for him to enter the competition. He has lost all three games. He had the first set against his friend in his hand, but Jódar took him up to four definitive points in the tie-break. More aggressive and phenomenal with the serve, Rafa flew in the second set and at the beginning of the third. He only hesitated a little to close, but he did it in another tiebreaker.
The result that harmed him
With that victory, Jódar was left pending the next duel. Only one score left him out: Tien’s victory against Budkov Kjaer by three sets to one, and he won 3-4 [2/7]4-1, 4-2 and 4-2. The Norwegian won the set he needed and already relaxed. Both qualify, in the triple tie of two wins and one loss that they have with Rafa.
Pending everything in the stands of King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, he was Rafa Nadal, ambassador of Saudi Arabia. When he was under 20 this tournament did not exist. At 19 he won his first Grand Slam.
