The most important question...

How many extra pairs of shoes has Jodar prepared, all laced up?

Also, what do guys think would be a "fair line" for the Over/Under on the number of broken shoelaces in this match? 1.5? Jokes aside, let's dig in. I've written so many Jodar previews lately, so I'll just be really brief about his playstyle and the matchup. He loves to face players who don't serve well, since his aggressive returning is elite. Besides that, players who are too passive just get demolished, since he'll instantly punish any short balls. OK, and what does he struggle with? Players who serve well and can play aggressively on return against his own weaker serve, and also players who maintain enough depth consistently in long rallies, not giving him opportunities. There we have it! He was supposed to go out against Shapovalov, finding himself a double break down in the third set, but, not entirely unsurprisingly, Shapovalov had other plans! Nervous double faults in key moments, dramatic stoppages in play due to Jodar breaking his shoelaces- that match had it all. Now, we have to see how well Jodar has recovered, because he has played quite many matches and he didn't look all that fresh. However, surely that kind of crazy comeback win has fueled him in some way!

Well, I'm not going to forget about Tabilo either. The Chilean had a quiet duel against Struff on one of the smaller courts. He managed to stay solid on his own serve and found a few opportunities against his more erratic opponent. Tabilo and Jodar actually faced each other recently in the Washington semifinal, with Jodar coming out on top in three sets. Both players were incredibly efficient in their own service games, which is likely to be a pattern here as well, considering the conditions. Can Tabilo take advantage of the different conditions or potentially Jodar's fatigue to get him on the winning side this time?