Jódar Reaches First Masters 1000 Semi-Final in Montreal
Listen to the story
Spanish tennis player Jódar has reached the semi-final of the Masters 1000 tournament in Canada for the very first time. He beat French player Fils in two sets to secure his place.
The Masters 1000 tournaments are among the most important events in men's tennis, just below the four Grand Slam tournaments. Reaching a semi-final at this level is a big achievement for any player, especially for the first time.
This week's tournament is being played in Montreal, Canada. Jódar's run through the competition has been strong, and beating Fils showed that he could handle pressure against a tough opponent.
Now Jódar will face American player Nakashima in the semi-final. The winner of this match will move on to the final, where he will fight for the title.
Because of his good results in Montreal, some experts believe Jódar could soon enter the Top 10 of the ATP world rankings. This would be another huge step in his career, as he has never been ranked that high before.
Fans of Spanish tennis are excited to watch how far Jódar can go in this tournament. A win against Nakashima would put him in his first-ever Masters 1000 final.
Vocabulary10 words
- semi-final
- the match played just before the final
- sets
- parts of a tennis match; players need to win several to win the match
- Grand Slam
- one of the four biggest tennis tournaments each year
- run
- a series of wins in a tournament
- opponent
- the person you play against
- final
- the last match that decides the winner
- Top 10
- the ten best players in the world rankings
- ATP
- the group that organises men's tennis and ranks players
- ranking
- a list that shows how good a player is compared to others
- achievement
- something good that a person has managed to do
Quiz
Answer key
1. Reaching a Masters 1000 semi-final 2. Nakashima 3. In two sets
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Spanish tennis player Jódar has reached the _____ of the Masters 1000 tournament in Canada for the very first time.
He beat French player Fils in two _____ to secure his place.
The Masters 1000 tournaments are among the most important events in men's tennis, just below the four _____ tournaments.
This week's tournament is being played in _____, Canada.
Jódar's run through the competition has been strong, and beating Fils showed that he could handle pressure against a tough _____.
Now Jódar will face American player _____ in the semi-final.
The winner of this match will move on to the _____, where he will fight for the title.
Some experts believe Jódar could soon enter the _____ of the ATP world rankings.
This would be another huge step in his career, as he has never been _____ that high before.
A win against Nakashima would put him in his first-ever Masters 1000 _____.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think reaching a Masters 1000 semi-final for the first time is important for a tennis player's career?
- What qualities do you think help a player win a tough match like Jódar's against Fils?
- How do you think entering the Top 10 rankings would change a player's life and career?
- Would you like to watch tennis semi-finals live? Why or why not?