Jodar is making the most of it

The Spaniard is on fire and he’s also getting draws that go his way, giving him the chance to shoot up the rankings after his title in Marrakech

Munar then Carabelli and now Norrie to reach the semis of an ATP 500 – it’s wide open, as they say, so I’m not taking anything away from Jodar’s level, who would surely be here even with a tougher draw. He’s been impressive for several weeks and with the confidence he’s built up it’s exponential, he keeps being monstrous. Little time spent on court, always a good attitude, he’s at the peak of his abilities and yes, he really is the big favorite in this match.

Norrie once again had to go through a third set against Quinn, it’s really not the same impression on his side, he looks much more laborious BUT still just as hard to beat, his number one quality. He’ll also want his revenge after the spanking he took in Acapulco at the start of the year, a 6–3 6–2 loss where he never really showed up. What’s different this time is his commitment to the tournament; for him too it’s a great opportunity and he’s also gathered loads of info on Jodar since their last meeting, he knows what to expect. He even says he wants to take the initiative and stop Jodar from dictating the game because he knows he’s dead otherwise.

Even with all the desire in the world, I find the level gap quite clear this week; I see Jodar as so much stronger and mentally too solid to get caught out. Norrie hasn’t yet shown that he’s ready to produce THE match needed to win, and he’s already spent a lot physically (and he’s made that known).