French Open: Mensik downs Fonseca in battle of youngsters

Jakub Mensik needed seven match points, but eventually got over the line in an enthralling French Open quarter-final clash with fellow youngster Joao Fonseca.

Mensik reached the first grand slam semi-final of his career as he prevailed 6-4 6-3 7-6 (7-3) at Roland-Garros.

This was the youngest men's quarter-final contested at Roland-Garros since 2006, when Rafael Nadal, aged 20, beat 19-year-old Novak Djokovic.

Fonseca downed Djokovic en route to his first last-eight appearance at a major, but Mensik had the edge on this occasion.

The 20-year-old, whose biggest title triumph so far came against Djokovic in Miami last year, had to fend off a set point from Fonseca in the third as the Brazilian battled to take the match the distance.

Having failed to capitalise on a break point to go 6-5 down, Fonseca then remarkably clawed back six match points to restore parity at 6-6 and force the tie-break.

Yet Mensik regained his cool, and got the job done to tee up a semi-final against second seed Alexander Zverev.

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Mensik is the first male player born in 2004 or later to reach the semi-finals of a major, while he is just the third Czech man in the 21st century to reach that stage of a slam, after Jiri Novak and Tomas Berdych.

At the age of 20 years and 265 days at the start of this year's French Open, Mensik has become the youngest Czech player in the Open Era to reach a grand slam semi-final, surpassing Ivan Lendl (21y 79d) at Roland-Garros in 1981.

Mensik's strong serve was the key – he won 54 out of 65 points behind his first serve.