Paris, May 31 (IANS) Rafael Jodar continued his remarkable breakthrough campaign with a stirring comeback victory over compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta, recovering from two sets down to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final at Roland Garros on Sunday.

The 19-year-old Spaniard looked headed for defeat after dropping the opening two sets but responded in emphatic fashion, winning 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in a gripping three-hour, 41-minute battle on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.

Busta, seeking a third Roland Garros quarter-final appearance, made the stronger start. The former world No. 10 controlled the early exchanges with his trademark consistency from the baseline, repeatedly exposing openings with his backhand to edge both the first and second sets by identical 6-4 scorelines.

With the experienced Spaniard firmly in command, Jodar needed a dramatic shift in momentum to keep his tournament alive. That turning point arrived at the start of the third set.

The teenager began playing with greater patience, cutting down on unforced errors and refusing to be drawn into rushed exchanges. The change in approach immediately paid dividends as he raced through the third set 6-1, suddenly swinging the momentum in his favour.

“It’s difficult because he has a great backhand. When we’re playing cross with the backhand, it’s difficult to change because he’s playing deep in the court. I tried not to rush the shots and not make a lot of unforced errors. I think that was the key in the first two sets, so I tried to change that,” Jodar was quoted by ATP.

Busta’s challenge became more complicated when he required a medical timeout on his right shoulder after the third set. Jodar capitalised on the opportunity, maintaining his intensity and powering through the fourth set 6-2 to force a decider.

The fifth set featured one final moment of danger for the youngster when he faced a 0-30 deficit early on serve. He survived the scare, held firm and gradually pulled away as Carreno Busta struggled to stem the tide.

Jodar closed out the deciding set 6-2 to complete his third five-set victory from as many attempts and continue a clay-court season that has transformed him into one of the Tour’s most exciting young talents. The victory makes him only the fifth man this century to reach the Roland Garros quarter-finals on debut. It also continues a meteoric rise that has seen him climb from outside the world’s top 700 a year ago to the brink of the ATP Top 20.

Jodar will next face either second seed Alexander Zverev or Dutch lucky loser Jesper de Jong for a place in the semi-finals.

–IANS

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