Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca insists he is yet to discover the absolute limits of his game or his body, despite his fairy-tale French Open campaign coming to an end at the hands of an ice-cool Jakub Mensik on Tuesday.
In a highly anticipated battle of breakout stars under the Court Philippe-Chatrier roof, marking the youngest Roland Garros men’s quarter-final since Rafael Nadal played Novak Djokovic in 2006, it was Mensik who ultimately prevailed. The 20-year-old Czech history-maker booked his first-ever Grand Slam semi-final spot with a commanding 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(3) victory.
In doing so, Mensik bypassed legendary compatriot Ivan Lendl to become the youngest Czech man to reach the last four of a major since 1981. He now advances to face tournament favourite Alexander Zverev.
French Open Day 10: Highlights
FONSECA REMAINS DEFIANT
Despite falling in straight sets, the 19-year-old Fonseca left Paris with his head held high. Having arrived at the clay-court major with severe concerns over a recent injury, a giant-killing run that included stunning victories over Novak Djokovic and Casper Ruud heavily exceeded his expectations.
“Coming from a little injury and not having any expectations for this tournament and doing a great run, this is a positive week,” Fonseca told reporters. “This tournament gives me more conviction and more confidence to keep going and, for sure, understanding a little bit more [of my] body and my limits.”
“I have never seen my limit yet, but I already know that I can be comfortable with my physique,” the Brazilian added. “I think it’s more comfortable with my game, the way that I’m playing, that my mentality is on the right path… Maybe it’s the same Joao, but finding new stuff.”
Fonseca refused to blame his own performance for the exit, offering full praise to Mensik. “His serve is amazing,” Fonseca said. “The most important thing is he knows how to play in important moments. He’s not afraid. Today it was not me playing badly. It was all his merit.”
MENSIK WEATHERS THE STORM
For Mensik, the victory caps a resilient fortnight. Just days after collapsing on the red dirt from exhaustion following a sweltering second-round match, the cool evening following a spell of rain suited him perfectly.
Mensik comfortably tightened his grip on the contest by securing single breaks midway through both the first and second sets, using his baseline defence like a wall to frustrate the teenager.
However, the third set exploded into drama. Spurred on by a vocal crowd of adoring Brazilian fans, Fonseca fought back furiously and broke to serve for the set at 5-4.
Mensik, who was mentored by Djokovic during his junior days, managed to break back immediately but faced an immense test of nerves. The Czech squandered six match points before finally closing out the match in a high-quality tiebreak.
“The last game and tiebreaker was one of my best performances so far,” Mensik said in his on-court interview. “A couple of match points I didn’t know if the ball was out or in… It was really tough to stay focused until the end, and I’m really happy that I managed to come back in the tiebreak and move my game a little bit forward.”
“Joao is a great guy and a great competitor,” Mensik added. “Before the match, I knew it would be a tough one. We started a bit nervous and at the end of the match, there were some incredible shots.”
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
While Mensik prepares for a blockbuster semi-final clash, Fonseca is already looking ahead to the upcoming grass-court season, bolstered by the knowledge that his body and mind belong on tennis’s grandest stages.
“Looking forward to resetting now,” Fonseca concluded. “Going back home, enjoy a little bit with the family and then go again for another swing.”
– Ends
