TENNIS: Teenager Jodar stages scintillating comeback win over Carreno Busta for French Open last eight spot

PARIS — Teenager Rafael Jodar battled back from two sets down to outlast veteran Pablo Carreno Busta 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in an all-Spanish battle of the generations on Sunday, booking a quarterfinal spot in his maiden French Open.

The 19-year-old clay-court specialist, who turned pro late last year, is seen as one of the dark horses for the title following the surprise exit of several top contenders, including world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. Jodar has now won two consecutive five-set matches after edging past Alex Michelsen in the previous round.

Jodar earned an early break to take a 4-2 lead, but his opponent stayed patient and was rewarded with four consecutive points to break back and secure the first set as the teenager's form suddenly dipped.

The teenager—who had an impressive first clay season on tour with a maiden title in Marrakesh, a last-four spot in Barcelona, and quarterfinals in Madrid and Rome—struggled to find his rhythm early on. The 34-year-old Carreno Busta capitalized, earning two more breaks to race to a 4-0 lead in the second set.

Jodar, who was ranked 707th just 12 months ago, sprang back to life by winning three straight games. However, he could not stop Carreno Busta from sealing the second set with a perfect serve-and-volley on his second set point.

The momentum shifted in the third set when Jodar found a way back into the match with an early break, eventually taking the set through more aggressive play and a dominant attacking forehand.

Carreno Busta then took a medical timeout for treatment on his right shoulder, but he could not stop the unforced errors from piling up. Jodar clinched two more breaks to send the match into a decider.

The teenager showed some nerves at the finish line but ultimately clinched his memorable victory on his fifth match point after 3 hours and 41 minutes of play.

Jodar will face either second seed Alexander Zverev or Dutchman Jesper De Jong in the last eight.

-Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; editing by Clare Fallon/Reuters