Jakub Mensik brought Joao Fonseca's stunning Roland Garros run to an end with a commanding 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(3) victory in two hours and 33 minutes. The Czech reaches his first Grand Slam semifinal at 20 years old.
Fonseca arrived in the quarterfinals riding a wave of momentum after toppling Novak Djokovic in five sets and eliminating two-time finalist Casper Ruud, but Mensik proved a step too far for the 19-year-old Brazilian. The Czech fired 11 aces and converted five of his 21 break point chances, while Fonseca managed just two breaks from five opportunities.
The first two sets were a masterclass in controlled aggression from Mensik, who dictated rallies with his powerful serve and precise groundstrokes. The third set provided the drama, though, as Mensik squandered six match points on Fonseca's serve at 5-6 before clinching the tiebreak 7-3.
"It was an insane level from both of us," Mensik said after the match. He now faces second seed Alexander Zverev, the 2024 runner-up, for a place in Sunday's final. A daunting task, but the young Czech showed on Tuesday that he fears nobody on the Parisian clay.
