Spanish tennis player Rafa Jódar secured a hard-fought second-round victory at the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Saturday, defeating Argentina’s Thiago Agustín Tirante 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in just over two hours to stay firmly in contention for the ATP Finals in Turin. El español, actual número 13 del ranking mundial, se vio obligado a remontar ante el argentino Thiago Agustín Tirante, al que accedió directamente en segunda ronda. Eso es lo que he heho al final.
Jódar Overcomes Early Setback Against Tirante at Qizhong Tennis Center
Competing at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena in Shanghai, the 20-year-old Madrid native found himself under pressure immediately. Jódar showed resilience in the fifth game by saving three break points to avoid a 4-1 deficit, but Tirante closed out the opening set 6-4.
The momentum shifted dramatically in the second set. Jódar capitalized on early opportunities, secured a crucial break against the 25-year-old Argentine, and increased his aggression by moving forward to the net more frequently. After leveling the match by taking the second set 6-2, Jódar weathered a tense deciding set.
Turin Race Implications and the Battle for the Nitto ATP Finals
Entering the tournament as the No. 11 player in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, Jódar is fighting to secure one of the final qualifying spots for the season-ending championships held from November 15 to 22. With Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, and Ben Shelton already holding guaranteed round-robin berths, the remaining field remains highly contested.
Jódar currently holds 2,559 points in the race standings, trailing Novak Djokovic by 281 points for the final direct qualification spot. Because Djokovic was eliminated early in Shanghai, Jódar needs a deep run—specifically reaching the semifinals in China—to surpass the Serbian star before the tournament concludes. Flavio Cobolli y Djokovic han sido los únicos que no han sumado una sola victoria en Shanghái. Following his opening win in Shanghai, Jódar acknowledged the physical and mental demands of his first full professional season on tour, noting that he intends to play out the remainder of the calendar without skipping events. Esto es nuevo para mí. Tengo que ir descubriéndolos y, en la segunda temporada, ya podré seleccionar qué campeonatos disputar
, aseguró. Ante la consulta sobre la posibilidad de incorporar a Juan Carlos Ferrero como su técnico —el exdeportista y antiguo preparador de Carlos Alcaraz afirmó que no descartaba esa alternativa—, el madrileño evitó profundizar en el tema y prefirió enfocar su atención en su siguiente compromiso y en los dos campeonatos posteriores, que podrían extenderse a tres si resulta convocado para la Copa Davis, certamen para el cual admitió sentirse muy motivado
.
Third-Round Test Against Jiri Lehecka in Shanghai
With his victory over Tirante, Jódar snapped a three-match losing streak that included opening-round exits at the US Open and in Tokyo. Su anterior victoria en el circuito se remontaba al pasado 17 de agosto, cuando venció al chileno Alejandro Tabilo durante la tercera ronda en Cincinnati. Looking ahead to the next round, the young Spaniard will face 12th seed Jiri Lehecka. The Czech player advanced to the third round by defeating Portugal’s Nuno Borges 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, which had been the verdugo en primera ronda de otro argentino, Facundo Díaz Acosta. Lehecka arrives in Shanghai following a strong run to the final at the Japan Open in Tokyo, where he fell to Carlos Alcaraz. Ahora vendrá otro partido muy duro, como todos. Al final estamos en tercera ronda de un Másters 1000, ningún partido va a ser fácil
, agregó.
The winner of the upcoming match between Jódar and Lehecka could potentially face Frenchman Arthur Fils in the fourth round, another direct competitor currently lingering in the race for Turin.
