In the first meeting between the former Top 10 junior players, Blockx sent down five aces and won 77 percent of his first-serve points. The world No. 115 broke Jodar’s serve three times to seal victory in one hour and 23 minutes.
“When I was 1-4 down in the second set, I was preparing myself for the third set,” Blockx admitted after the match.
“I was mentally calm, which helped me to break back. There was one bad game and I smiled about it. I played at a good level throughout the match.”
Both players showcased their athleticism, shot-making and competitive maturity beyond their years throughout the week, thrilling the Canberra crowd and reinforcing the event’s reputation as a launchpad for emerging stars. Blockx began his campaign in style, defeating 19-year-old Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, 6–2, 6–3, in the first round. It was another convincing victory over the Norwegian, whom he had also beaten during his run to the final of the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia last December.
