Jakub Mensik superior to the third spherical of the Australian Open by beating world No. 6 Casper Ruud 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in Margaret Courtroom Enviornment on Wednesday.
It was the second occasion within the first 4 days of the match wherein a young person defeated a top-10 opponent. Within the first spherical on Tuesday, 18-year-old Brazilian and fellow NextGen ATP Finals star Joao Fonseca knocked off world No. 9 Andrey Rublev 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-6(5). Mensik, 19, and Fonseca are the primary two teenagers to beat top-10 gamers on the similar Grand Slam since Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray at Wimbledon in 2006.
“All of the younger gamers who’re taking part in right here are attempting their greatest to succeed in the identical degree, like Jannik and Carlos had been just a few years in the past,” Mensik commented. “We are able to strategy it the identical and attempt to attain the identical degree, compete in opposition to them. It’s nice that there’s a new blood all the time. We are able to see that tennis is transferring on; we will see totally different or new names on the tournaments. For the followers, for the tennis, for all the pieces, it’s actually nice.
“The timing of Subsequent Gen (in mid-December) helped us rather a lot. All of us performed actually nice matches. Additionally within the tournaments earlier than [the Australian Open], we had been doing very well. That’s crucial factor in the beginning of the season to have the match rely and to return to the Grand Slam with matches performed.”
That was actually the case for Fonseca, who arrived in Melbourne on a 13-match profitable streak–together with a title on the NextGen, the place his match in opposition to Mensik went to 5 consecutive tiebreakers. Fonseca is now 9-0 this season and has not dropped a single set.
“Fonseca’s degree for 18 not to mention any age is solely off the charts,” commentator Brad Gilbert mentioned after watching Fonseca beat Rublev. “His straightforward energy and composure [thumbs up emoji]. Proper now his degree is definitely prime 10. I mentioned final month (he) would end (the season) prime 25. Now (I’m) seeing year-end championships.”
As Gilbert’s phrases point out, the hype prepare for Fonseca is off the charts. Possibly it ought to be for Mensik, as effectively.
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and in addition maintains his personal tennis web site, The Grandstand. You’ll be able to observe him on Twitter at @Dimonator.
