By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday March 27, 2025
19-year-old Jakub Mensik has been the most effective serve at this 12 months’s Miami Open, and the development continued on Thursday as he fired 13 aces and received all however 5 of his first-serve factors in a 7-6(5), 6-1 win over 20-year-old Arthur Fils.
“It feels unimaginable. I feel the largest consequence up to now in my profession, so I’m glad I simply saved going because the first spherical,” mentioned Mensik on court docket after his win. “That’s the important thing, to maintain the main target through the two weeks, as a result of it’s at all times powerful… The job isn’t achieved.”
54th-ranked Mensik reaches his maiden Masters 1000 semifinal and turns into the fifth youngest participant to achieve the ultimate 4 in Miami along with his win.
Once I got here from juniors to the skilled stage, we did a number of work, simply serve plus one launch and every thing, like workout routines,” Mensik mentioned on Thursday when requested about his serving prowess. “Wo we had been focusing loads on this recreation fashion to start with of my skilled profession. “In fact it is arduous work and a number of serves… proper now, after all, through the match I really feel fairly assured, and it is my huge, huge weapon.”
Novak Djokovic had excessive reward for Mensik’s supply after he confronted him final 12 months in Shanghai.
“I might see in the present day why he is among the greatest servers we’ve within the recreation,” the Grand Slam king mentioned. “He’s solely 19, the long run may be very vibrant for him. He is aware of that I’m at all times there for him, no matter he wants.”
Mensik needed to work to get by means of a troublesome opening set in opposition to the person that eradicated top-seeed Alexander Zverev on Wednesday. Pegged again from a 4-1 lead he received the job down in a tiebreak. He was additionally serving at 5-5 15-40 however managed to hammer down some huge serves to flee the difficulty.
Mensik, the primary Czech to achieve the Miami semis since Tomas Berdych in 2015, will face both Matteo Berrettini or Taylor Fritz within the semifinals on Friday.
#19YearOld #Mensik #Reaches #Masters #Semifinal