Rafael Jodar has already established himself as one of the best tennis players in the world.
The 19-year-old began the year ranked as the World No. 165, but enters Wednesday’s Canadian Masters semifinal against Brandon Nakashima ranked 11th in the live ATP Rankings.
Like his countryman Carlos Alcaraz, Jodar’s skills have translated across different surfaces, as he is into his second final on a North American hard court, just a few months removed from winning his maiden ATP title on clay at Marrakech.
Jodar is a -240 favorite to advance to his first Masters final with a win over Nakashima in Quebec.
Tennis picks: Nakashima vs. Jodar odds, prediction
When we think of young Spanish sensations, we automatically assume they are grinders built to outlast opponents who will inevitably do their best work on clay. Jodar may be breaking that mold.
The teenager has serious pop in his racket, and the foundation of his skill set is much more than just relentlessness. He will dig deep and grind out points, but he will also have you running all over the place with his serve and powerful groundstrokes.
He is an attacking dynamo.
Nakashima is a terrific attacking player in his own right, but his only path to success in this match is to serve through Jodar.
The American’s serve is big enough to do that, but if he’s even just a little off, he will be in trouble because Jodar will be able to wrestle away the tempo of this match.
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Against other opponents, Nakashima would be a tempting bet as a +195 underdog, but he doesn’t offer enough edge in this particular battle to make that price interesting.
Bet on the Jodar Show to continue rolling Wednesday night.
The Play: Jodar -1.5 sets (+105, FanDuel)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
