La oportunidad perdida de conquistar la primera final de un Masters 1000 de su carrera dejó un sabor amargo.
Ese es el estado de ánimo de Rafael Jodar, que no ocultó su decepción tras quedarse a un paso de alcanzar un hito realmente importante con apenas 19 años. En Montreal, el español, que había encadenado numerosos partidos entre Washington y Canadá, cedió ante el estadounidense Brandon Nakashima en dos sets. Sin duda, no fue el mejor partido del madrileño en este torneo, algo que subrayó en varias ocasiones durante la rueda de prensa.
"It's clear that I didn't play my best tennis, but he played a very good match. You have to give him credit because he played better than me, especially in the important points. This is one of the reasons why he won. I've played four games here in Montreal, so there are a lot of positives to take away from this week," explicó el jugador madrileño.
Jodar no buscó excusas: "It's not a defeat due to fatigue, I felt good. I tried to play my game throughout the match, but it didn't go as planned. I will try not to make the same mistakes next time, I am sure that this meeting will help me grow. I believe that even defeats help players to improve," analizó.
Jodar cayó ante Nakashima
"It was a fantastic experience to play in Montreal for the first time. I really enjoyed the crowd and the evening games, which was a great experience for both players and spectators. I think there is a great atmosphere in general and I hope to come back in two years, because it is a really good tournament. Now, however, my focus is all on preparing for Cincinnati," concluyó Rafa, que no tendrá demasiado tiempo para recuperarse antes del Masters 1000 de Ohio.
El madrileño, de 19 años, está firmando una temporada excepcional en todos los sentidos y ha demostrado contar con las cualidades necesarias para convertirse en campeón en un futuro cercano.