French Open: Mensik seals first-ever Grand Slam semifinal; Zverev beats Jodar
Paris, June 3
Jakub Mensik sealed his first-ever major semifinal spot, beating teen sensation Joao Fonseca in the quarterfinal of the French Open on Tuesday night.
The 20-year-old Mensik overcame 19-year-old Fonseca 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(3). The clash between two of tennis's most exciting young talents saw Mensik absorbing and giving back to Fonseca's firepower, and he became the first man born after 2004 or later to reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam in a match that lasted two hours and 33 minutes.
Both stars were competing in their first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinals, and it was Mensik who rose to the occasion, becoming the youngest Czech player to reach the semifinal of a Grand Slam.
"We started a little bit nervous, then at the end of the match, there were some incredible shots," Mensik said in his on-court interview as per ATP's official website. "I am super happy that I came back. In the third set, I was a couple of breaks down, so I am happy I managed to stay focused and keep fighting until the end," he added.
After winning the youngest French Open quarterfinal since 20-year-old Rafael Nadal defeated 19-year-old Novak Djokovic in 2006, Mensik's semifinal challenge will be the second seed and 2024 French Open finalist Alexander Zverev.
On the other hand, Zverev outclassed another rising young talent, beating Rafael Jodar 7-6(3), 6-1, 6-3 on Tuesday. Zverev, who had dropped just one set in his five matches, rallied from being 2-5 down in the opening set and was largely dominant in a two-hour, 17-minute clash.
"It was difficult," Zverev said in his on-court interview. "He had perfect rhythm in the first set and I did not. My balls were very short, and I was very defensive. The conditions [under the roof] were completely different. The string tension was different, the way the ball reacted off the ground was different. The ball was not bouncing as high, so heavy topspin was not really beneficial, and I had to flatten my shots out a little bit more."
"He was playing amazing and outplayed me in the beginning of the first set, but I managed to come back, and he played a little bit of a nervous game when he served for it. Then I took my chances well, and after that it was a good match for me," he signed off.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Zverev's ability to dig deep when down 2-5 in the first set shows his championship pedigree. But honestly, I'm more excited about Mensik's journey - this kid has the composure of a veteran. Can he challenge Zverev next? My gut says it'll be tough but not impossible. Tennis in 2025 is going to be wild!
The comparison to Nadal-Djokovic 2006 got me emotional 😢 Two teenagers producing a classic. Reminds me of how tennis in India is slowly picking up too - maybe someday we'll have our own Grand Slam semifinalist from the country. Fingers crossed! 🤞 For now, really impressed by Mensik's mental strength.
Hold on - Zverev dropping just one set in 5 matches is seriously impressive. But I'm a little concerned about his consistency. He had a tough start against Jodar who is a promising talent. If Mensik can keep his nerve like he did against Fonseca, this semifinal could be closer than people think. The roof conditions made it interesting though - Zverev adapted well after that first set wobble.
Great to see young players break through! But I have to say - the hype around every new talent sometimes overlooks how tough it is to sustain success. Navratilova's record for Czechs is huge. Let's see if Mensik can handle the pressure of facing a giant like Zverev. Sabalenka ka toh match bhi dekhne wala hoon kal!
M Michael C What We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.