The first of two days of men’s singles quarterfinals in Paris got underway on Tuesday, featuring two high-caliber encounters on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
World No. 27 Jakub Mensik outlasted 28th seed Joao Fonseca 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(3) in two hours and 44 minutes, notching his place at the Roland Garros semifinals, his first at a major on Friday night session.
In his on-court interview, he commented: “We started a little bit nervous, then at the end of the match, there were some incredible shots."
"The last game and the tiebreak were [some] of my best performances so far," he added.
"It was really tough to stay focused until the end. A couple of match points... I'm happy I managed to come back in the tiebreak and still move my game a little forward."
Neither of the two young talents had ever reached the last four at a Slam before the French Open.
Despite the physical wear on the body in the final stages of the tournament, both lived up to the occasion, displaying high-quality tennis in the City of Lights.
The Match as It Happened
Playing on Court Philippe-Chatrier with the roof closed due to rain, the second quarterfinal of the day got underway.
They stayed clinical behind their serve in the early stages of the match, until the Czech player found breathing room to convert a break of serve, quickly backing it up with a solid hold to lead 4-2.
In control, the 20-year-old stepped up the pressure, but the Brazilian held his nerve, putting to good use his skillset at the net, executing a sharp backhand drop shot to stay alive in the set.
Fending off break points on his serve, ultimately, the Rio de Janeiro native could not halt an opponent who, hitting the ball cleanly off both wings, served out the set 6-4 in 42 minutes, firing 15 winners in the process.
The 19-year-old lacked his trademark intensity and energy, understandably so, having spent over 14 hours on court before his quarterfinal match.
The world No. 30 held his ground flawlessly in his first two games of the second set, but once Mensik regained his rhythm, he managed to withstand the Brazilian's ferocious groundstrokes, earning a pivotal hold at 2-2.
A backhand pass led to a crucial break point, edging ahead 3-2.
Both continued to battle in lengthy baseline rallies until the reigning Auckland champion extended his lead with a double break in the ninth game, sealing the second set 6-3.
With the wind in his sails, the 26th seed took a commanding two-set lead, winning 88 percent of the points on his first serve.
Facing an uphill climb, Fonseca dug deep, refusing to quit with Gustavo Kuerten in attendance to support his compatriot.
Showcasing grit and power, he regrouped, breaking in the first game of the third set as his adversary double-faulted, opening a 2-0 advantage.
Meanwhile, Mensik, who appeared unwell physically at times, found the strength and determination to bounce back, converting a break in his fourth attempt, drawing level at 2-2.
From there, he built momentum in a balanced tie, holding a 3-2 lead, but Fonseca kept the score tight by playing with aggression, and in the blink of an eye, they were back even at 3-3.
Giving his all, he converted a double break and held under heavy pressure to stay alive in the match at 5-3.
But failing to seize his chances at crucial moments, the two-time ATP title holder saw his rival fending off a set point when he served for the set at 5-4.
As he built momentum, the Czech broke twice, surging on top after an astonishing 16-shot rally to pocket the 10th game before holding for 6-5.
A dramatic 12th game, marked by gruelling rallies, would see the player coached by Guilherme Teixeira save six match points, sending the set into a tiebreak.
Calm and collected, Mensik earned a mini break to start proceedings, and from there he took care of business, moving into the semifinals in his seventh match point, wrapping up 7-6(3) to advance to the last four.
Despite falling in the last eight, the Brazilian can be proud of a stunning run at the clay court Slam, having shocked former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic as two-time runner-up Casper Ruud throughout two weeks of epic tennis.
Earlier, world No. 3 Alexander Zverev outclassed Spaniard Rafael Jodar in three sets to reach his eleventh career Grand Slam semifinal, a fifth at Roland Garros.
The second seed leads Mensik 1-0 in their series, having met in the Round of 16 at this year's Madrid Open.