World No 1 Jannik Sinner held off 19-year-old wild card Rafael Jodar to win 6-2 7-6 (7-0) 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.
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.
Sinner will next face Arthur Fils or Jiri Lehecka for a place in the Madrid Open final
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 cross-court 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 clay court title this season after winning the Monte-Carlo Masters, dominated the tie-break 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.
Sinner: Spain has another ‘incredible’ player in Jodar
Speaking to Sky Sports Tennis after his victory in Madrid, Sinner said:
“Look, he’s [Jodar] an incredible player, Spain has one more incredible player and it’s great for the sport.
“A tough challenge. I knew already before the match it’s going to be very tough to beat him, especially here.
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Sinner told Sky Sports he knew he was in for a tough match against Jodar
“He’s from here, he knows exactly how to play in these conditions. At the same time, I got a little bit more experience in the second set, got a bit lucky at times, but I tried to keep the level as high as I could.
“I’m happy how I ended the match. I tried to level up a little bit, trying to go a little bit faster and this helped me.”
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