PARIS, May 31 (Reuters) – Teenager Rafael Jodar battled back from two sets down to outlast veteran Pablo Carreno Busta 4-6 4-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 in their all-Spanish battle of the generations on Sunday, and book a quarter-final spot in his maiden French Open.
• The 19-year-old clay court specialist, who turned pro only late last year, is seen as one of the dark horses for the title following the surprise exit of several top contenders, including world number one Jannick Sinner. He has now won two consecutive five-set matches after edging past Alex Michelsen in the previous round.
• Jodar earned an early break to take a 4-2 lead but his opponent stayed patient and was rewarded with four match points on the trot and the first set, as the teenager’s form dipped suddenly.
• The teenager who had an impressive first clay season on tour with a maiden title in Marrakesh, a last-four spot in Barcelona and the quarter-finals in Madrid and Rome, struggled to find a way into the match with 34-year-old Carreno Busta earning two more breaks to go 4-0 up in the second set.
• Jodar, who was ranked 707th 12 months ago, sprang back to life, winning three straight games, but could not stop Carreno Busta sealing the second set with a perfect serve and volley on his second set point.
• He found a way back into the match with an early break in the third set and won it with more aggressive play and an attacking forehand.
• Carreno Busta then took a medical timeout for treatment to his right shoulder but he could not stop the unforced errors piling up, with Jodar clinching two breaks to send the match to a decider.
• The teenager showed some nerves at the end but clinched his memorable victory on his fifth match point after three hours and 41 minutes.
• He will face either second seed Alexander Zverev or Dutchman Jesper De Jong in the last eight.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; editing by Clare Fallon)
