Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar advanced to the semifinals of the Omnium Banque Nationale on Tuesday in Montreal, defeating France’s Arthur Fils 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 in a hard-fought quarterfinal match on the hard courts of Stade IGA, according to ici.radio-canada.ca.
Jodar, seeded 20th and competing at 19 years of age, required one hour and 42 minutes to overcome the 18th-seeded Fils. The victory marks a significant milestone for the young Spaniard, who had previously stumbled in the quarterfinals at the Masters events in Rome and Madrid earlier in the season. According to live ATP rankings cited by ici.radio-canada.ca, this deep run in Montreal puts Jodar on track to potentially climb to the 11th spot in the world rankings.
The match featured momentum shifts, weather delays, and high-stakes service games. Jodar broke Fils’s serve immediately in the second game of the match to seize an early advantage. Fils, a 22-year-old French competitor, clawed his way back into the opening set by breaking back in the seventh game.
Play was temporarily halted for roughly an hour on the tournament’s central court due to a rain shower. Following the resumption of play, Fils faced intense pressure while serving at 5-6 and trailing 0-30. He managed to claw back four consecutive points to force a tiebreak. In the tiebreak, Fils saved two set points before hitting a forehand long on the third, handing the opening set to Jodar after 7-6 (7/5).
The second set mirrored the competitive tension of the opener as both players exchanged breaks in the third and fourth games. Jodar struck again in the seventh game, breaking Fils’s serve once more to take control. Though Fils attempted a late counter-attack in the following game, Jodar erased a break point with a smash and secured the hold with a drop shot. Serving to stay in the match at 3-5, Fils could not stave off the deficit, and Jodar converted his fourth match point with a forehand.
With this win, Jodar moves forward to face American Brandon Nakashima (no. 28) in the semifinal round. Nakashima booked his ticket to the final four earlier in the day by dismissing Italy’s Luciano Darderi (no. 19) in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, in a match lasting one hour and 17 minutes under a blistering sun.
Nakashima capitalized on his serving strength, out-acing Darderi 11-2 and converting all four of his break point opportunities. The American turned 25 years old on August 3 and was the oldest of the eight participants in the quarterfinals in Montreal.
Tournament action at Stade IGA continues into the evening session with reigning champion Ben Shelton of the United States facing Czech Republic’s Jakub Mensik (no. 13), followed by a clash between Spain’s Daniel Merida and America’s Learner Tien (no. 12).
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