Spanish teen Jodar ousts eighth seed Lehecka at Montreal
MONTREAL: Spanish teen Rafael Jodar defeated Czech eighth seed Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-3 on Saturday to reach the quarter-finals of the ATP Montreal Masters.
Rafael Jodar, a 19-year-old Spanish teen, upset Czech eighth seed Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-3 at the ATP Montreal Masters on Saturday. The talented youngster defeated his opponent in the quarter-finals after a rain delay in the afternoon. This victory marked Jodar's 33rd win of the season and would propel him to the top-10 ranking for the first time if he manages to continue his impressive run.
Earlier, Italian Luciano Darderi, ranked 15th in the world, beat Portuguese player Nuno Borges 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 to advance to the quarter-finals. Darderi, who has now reached the last eight in seven of his past eight events, credited his espresso shot during a mid-match changeover for giving him the necessary boost to secure his win.
Darderi will face Brandon Nakashima in the semis, after Nakashima had beaten Arthur Rinderknech in a thrilling match that was halted due to rain, only to resume after a two-hour delay. Nakashima will be playing in his tenth quarter-final of the season, earning his 30th victory in 2026.
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