Who can stop him?

Jodar is a war machine and is steamrolling everyone. The only one who took a set off him this week is our very own Moutet.

We’d been eagerly waiting for the match against Fils, and it turned out to be an execution, or almost. Jodar dominated the whole thing and showed he’s not cut from the same cloth as Fils. The Frenchman is a gem with huge potential, but Jodar, who is two years younger, already seems a notch above him in every area. It’s not a surprise, but the only thing you can hold against the Spaniard is that he still hasn’t beaten a crazy number of top-20 players. I don’t remember the exact stat, but I saw it go by.

It’s not an issue when you see how absolutely monstrous he is and how he backs up, match after match, everything people think of him. With the interruptions and the fact that this is a 10-day Masters 1000, it really works in his favor. Sure, the long format of these Masters 1000s can wear you down over time, but it just gives Jodar more time to get back to his full physical level.

Not really the same feeling on Nakashima’s side, who plays a different but just as respectable style. The American is ultra efficient and solid; everything he does is clean and serious. He once again showed real ruthlessness against Darderi today. He wins the big points when it matters. That’s kind of his trend at the moment. I’m not saying he’s pulling off smash-and-grabs in every match, but when he’s struggling a bit, he manages to get through it and then finish the job.

He’ll have to surpass himself and do a bit more to go after Jodar, because it’s just not the same level waiting for him. The Spaniard is starting to make a name for himself with his return of serve. Nakashima sometimes hides too much behind his first serve, which is his main weapon. If the American gets too many returns coming back and can’t scrape as many points as usual, that could be decisive.

I’d like to have arguments in favor of Nakashima, but no matter how hard I look, I don’t see much. To me, Jodar is playing at a completely different level. The physical question doesn’t even come up anymore when you see how well he’s recovered. We’re heading into a Masters 1000 semifinal. He made the final of a 500 last week. I’m not even sure his lack of experience is that much of an issue, given that he already has a title on the main tour this season.