Mensik and Fonseca, aged 20 and 19 respectively, are tipped to be among the many gamers who may problem Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz on the very high of males’s tennis over the subsequent few years – and their last-eight tie demonstrated why.
Each males have been enjoying of their first main quarter-final and whereas Mensik confessed to feeling some early nerves in his post-match interview, his dominant serve proved vital as he moved right into a two-set lead with out dealing with a break level.
Fonseca had twice come again from two units right down to win matches at this yr’s French Open, most notably within the third spherical towards 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
There have been flashes of brilliance from the Brazilian all through, however one other mammoth comeback proved past him on this event underneath the roof on Court docket Philippe Chatrier.
The third set went on for near 80 minutes, with Fonseca twice transferring a break of serve forward earlier than being dragged again to parity by Mensik.
Serving at 6-5 down, Fonseca saved six match factors in a marathon twelfth recreation of the set earlier than forcing a tie-break – which Mensik managed to finish a 6-4 6-3 7-6 (7-3) victory.
“On the finish of the match, there have been some unbelievable photographs,” stated Mensik, a former Masters 1000 champion in Miami.
“I am tremendous joyful that I am the one which got here again. I used to be a break down a few occasions however I managed to remain targeted, keep within the match and preserve preventing till the tip.”
Mensik is the primary Czech participant to succeed in a Grand Slam males’s singles semi-final since Tomas Berdych at Wimbledon in 2017 and he’s projected to maneuver again into the world’s high 20.
