Spanish teen Jodar ousts eighth seed Lehecka at Montreal

August 9, 2026 - 04:23

Rafael Jodar, the 18-year-old from Spain, continued his breakout run at the ATP Montreal Masters on Saturday, knocking out Czech eighth seed Jiri Lehecka in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. The win propels the young qualifier into the quarter-finals, where he will face French 18th seed Arthur Fils for a spot in the semi-finals.

Fils advanced earlier in the day with a hard-fought 6-2, 7-6 (10/8) victory over Britain's Cameron Norrie, saving a set point in the tense tiebreak to close out the match.

Jodar, who came through the qualifying rounds, showed poise well beyond his years against Lehecka, breaking serve twice in each set and never facing a break point on his own delivery. His aggressive baseline play and sharp returns kept the Czech off balance throughout the one-hour, 20-minute contest.

The result marks the biggest win of Jodar's young career and extends a remarkable week for the teen, who had already upset two higher-ranked opponents earlier in the tournament. He will now face Fils, a fellow rising star, in what promises to be an entertaining clash between two of the tour's most promising young talents.