No. 1 Jannik Sinner beats rising star Rafael Jódar in Madrid and declares 'what a player'

MADRID (AP) — Top-ranked Jannik Sinner proved too much for Rafael Jódar, the latest tennis sensation from Spain. Jódar's run was halted by a 6-2, 7-6 (0) loss to Sinner in the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open on Wednesday. The 19-year-old Jódar has been quickly rising up the rankings and had impressed in Madrid with victories against better-ranked opponents. "What a player," Sinner wrote on the lens of the on-court camera after the match at the Caja Magica center court. "In the beginning he was maybe a little bit, felt a bit of tension, which is normal," Sinner said. "But after, it came out as a good match. I had a little bit of experience, you know, a little bit more of experience than him in crucial moments, but it was a good match." Sinner had praised the Spaniard a few other times before and was courtside to see Jódar defeat fifth-seeded Alex de Minaur in the round of 64. "That's also one of the reasons why I went to watch him, you know, him and João Fonseca," Sinner said. "I like to watch because I know that they are going to be potentially the future opponents most of the time. Everyone is a very different player, and you need to adjust yourself." The 24-year-old Sinner said Jódar has "everything what's needed" to be among the top players. "At the end of the day, you know, the player has to make the step forward, and then we see. But what he's doing, it's incredible," Sinner said. "But in the same time, don't push him too much, you know. Because sometimes it's getting into your head and it's very tough to get out. He's a very, very good kid, he has a great family behind him. The father seems very, very humble. He has a small bubble, which is great for him. I think he's going to make some incredible results in the future." The 42nd-ranked Jódar was playing in the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 tournament for the first time. He had already become just the third Spaniard — after Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz — to earn a main-draw win in Madrid before turning 20. Jódar earlier this month won in Marrakech for his first ATP Tour title, then reached the semifinals in Barcelona. He was outside the top 600 in the rankings just a year ago and entered the top 100 in March. "Jannik played very well during the whole match," Jódar said. "I take many positive things, and I'm trying to learn from this match and for the future. I'll try to re-watch it again and try to learn from this match." It was the 21st straight win for Sinner, who saved all seven break points he faced. He will be playing in the Madrid semifinals for the first time. The Italian has completed the set of semifinal appearances across all nine ATP Masters 1000 events. Sinner, trying to become the first player to win five consecutive Masters 1000 tournaments, will next face Barcelona champion Arthur Fils, the 21-year-old who extended his winning streak to nine matches with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Jiri Lehecka.