Zverev Into the Semifinals: Jodar Beaten in Three Sets

Alexander Zverev got past nineteen-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar 7-6(3), 6-1, 6-3 on the Philippe-Chatrier, booking a place in the Roland Garros semifinals. The German, the number 2 seed, needed two hours and twenty-five minutes to see off the revelation of Paris.

The match was only in the balance in the first set, decided in a tie-break. From there Zverev raised his level and gave his young opponent very little room, closing out the next two sets without offering any openings.

For Jodar, born in 2006 and the number 27 seed, it was his first career Slam quarterfinal, reached after coming back from two sets down in the previous round. The Spaniard, who hit a career-high ranking of number 22 on June 1, is one of two nineteen-year-olds to reach the last eight in Paris alongside Joao Fonseca, something the tour had not seen in a long time.

What stands out is how Zverev handled the match after that tight first set: instead of letting himself be dragged into a battle, he stepped on the gas and removed any lingering uncertainty, a sign of maturity for a player still chasing his first Slam title in Paris.