Jakub Mensik needed seven match points to see off Joao Fonseca at the French Open and move into his first-ever Grand Slam semi-final, but he admitted there were moments during the clash when he was “afraid” about an injury. The Czech was quick out of the blocks in the quarter-final as he broke Fonseca once in each of the first two sets to take a two-set to love lead, but there were signs of discomfort at the end of the second set and the start of the third set.
The world No 27 lost focus as he dropped serve in the opening game of the third set, but broke back in game four, only for the pair to trade breaks again midway through the set. With Fonseca serving at 6-5 to stay in the match, Mensik had six match points to wrap things up, but the teenager saved them all and it went to the tie-breaker where he controlled proceedings to win 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3).
Although Mensik appeared to shake off the leg problem as the match progressed, there were concerns about his fitness during the post-match press conference as he cramped up while answering a question. He then explained: “I had a bad movement and no, I’m fine.
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I was controlling the game on the serve, on the return, I was super calm and very focused so the momentum was on my side,” the world No 27 said. “Unfortunately, at the end of the second set, I started to feel some discomfort in my left leg, which was irritating me during the serve.
So I was, of course, afraid of what is that? Fortunately, it was just a tight muscle.
“But because of that I dropped my focus a little bit. So that’s why the beginning of the third set was not how I won it.
“But as the match and the third set continued, and it was getting more intense, the pain started to drop down a little bit and I started to not feel the pain at all, which obviously I’m super happy that it’s nothing serious “Then after and during the third set I was again able to lock in and to play my game again.” He will hope that really was just a tight muscle with his semi-final against Alexander Zverev set for Friday. Mensik, who has peaked at No 12 in the ATP Rankings, has climbed 10 spots to No 17 in the Live Rankings and a win over Zverev could see him jump as high as 11th while a title run will push him into the top 10.
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