By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday March 27, 2025
19-year-old Jakub Mensik has been one of the best serve at this 12 months’s Miami Open, and the development continued on Thursday as he fired 13 aces and gained 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 end result to date in my profession, so I’m glad I simply saved going for the reason that first spherical,” stated Mensik on courtroom after his win. “That’s the important thing, to maintain the main focus throughout the two weeks, as a result of it’s all the time powerful… The job will not be carried out.”
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.
After I got here from juniors to the skilled degree, we did loads of work, simply serve plus one launch and every little thing, like workout routines,” Mensik stated on Thursday when requested about his serving prowess. “Wo we had been focusing so much on this sport fashion at first of my skilled profession. “After all it is exhausting work and loads of serves… proper now, after all, throughout 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 may see at this time why he is among the greatest servers we’ve within the sport,” the Grand Slam king stated. “He’s solely 19, the longer term may be very shiny for him. He is aware of that I’m all the time there for him, no matter he wants.”
Mensik needed to work to get by way of a tricky opening set towards the person that eradicated top-seeed Alexander Zverev on Wednesday. Pegged again from a 4-1 lead he acquired 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.
