Rafael Jódar dominated Chile’s Cristian Garín with a 6-0, 6-2 victory in just one hour and five minutes on Saturday, securing a commanding 2-0 lead for Spain in their Davis Cup qualifier at the Court Central Anita Lizana inside the Estadio Nacional in Santiago. At just 19 years old and in his first professional season, the world No. 14 delivered a flawless debut for the Spanish national team, following Daniel Mérida’s earlier three-set comeback win over Alejandro Tabilo.
The tie now stands at 2-0 in favor of Spain, leaving the visiting team just one win away from securing a spot in the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna.
Jódar Extinguishes Garín in Straight Sets
Stepping onto the court with the weight of protecting Mérida’s hard-earned lead, Jódar showed zero signs of opening-night jitters. The Madrid native immediately took control from the baseline, keeping Garín—ranked No. 133 in the world—constantly pinned behind the baseline under relentless pressure.
Garín struggled mightily on his service games, committing four double faults in the opening set alone and failing to hold serve once as Jódar carved through the rallies with depth and aggression. The first set raced by in a blur, finishing 6-0 as the young Spanish star refused to offer any window of opportunity.
The second set offered brief resistance when Garín leveled at 1-1, but Jódar quickly accelerated by securing two consecutive breaks to pull ahead 5-1. Although a brief moment of tension arose when Garín broke serve to make it 5-2 amid mounting rain threats at the venue, Jódar closed out the match cleanly on his second match point to seal the 6-0, 6-2 triumph.
Mérida Overcomes Tabilo in Opening Battle
The tie’s opening rubber demanded immense resilience from Daniel Mérida. Facing local favorite Alejandro Tabilo on clay, Mérida dropped a tight first set 7-5 after 55 minutes of intense baseline exchanges and net battles.
Refusing to unravel, the Spanish player adjusted his depth and height variations, saving two early break points in the second set before breaking Tabilo in the eighth game. Carrying that momentum into the decider, Mérida converted a crucial break at 0-40 in the third game and closed out the match 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 after two hours and fifteen minutes of play.
Road to the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna
With Spain holding a 2-0 advantage over Chile, the team needs just one more victory on Sunday to punch its ticket to the Final 8 in Bologna. The Spanish squad will have three separate opportunities on Sunday to secure the decisive point, beginning with the doubles rubber, followed by up to two remaining singles matches if necessary.
Play resumes Sunday local time at the Estadio Nacional de Santiago, where Spain looks to close out the qualifier and seal its progression on foreign soil.
