Photo credit: Hameltion/Wikimedia Commons
A jolting Jakub Mensik drive made Jannik Sinner’s head swivel as the ball buzzed by him.
The 20-year-old Mensik rode vicious velocity and sharp-angled volleys to a stunning 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3 upset of world No. 2 Sinner to charge into the Doha semifinals.
Well, I don’t know [the key] to be honest. Of course before the match I knew aboit Jannik’s quality,” Mensik said. “He’s a great guy great champion. Already what he’s done in his career is quite impressive.
“Even with that that I came into the match to win it. Having that winning mindset and I served pretty good…It was a very tough mental battle.
“Actually, after the toilet break [at the end of the second set], I’m really happy how I came back. From the beginning of the third set I started to serve really well and I’m just really happy with the performance I showed today.”
Miami Open champion Mensik snapped Sinner’s 12-match winning streak at the ATP 500 level and ended his 14-match winning streak in quarterfinals dating back to 2024. Sinner was is 69-1 vs. players ranked outside the Top 10 on hard courts since the start of 2024 season, but a fearless Mensik shattered that prowess.
“Of course, it’s a great win,” Mensik said. “It’s gonna get a huge [reaction] in my country. The tournament is still going. No time to celebrate much. I will go to get some sleep tomorrow I will wake up. Hopefully I will recovery well and try my best to show the same tennis I showed today.”
The 16th-ranked Mensik made history as the first Czech man to defeat Wimbledon winner Sinner—and he did it frequently standing toe-to-toe with the game’s supreme ball striker and winning pivotal baseline exchanges.
A masterful Mensik served 71 percent, rocketed 11 aces and dropped only 11 points on first serve, improving to 4-2 lifetime vs. Top 5-ranked opponents.
Mensik will meet Frenchman Arthur Fils for a spot in the final.
The 21-year-old Fils swept eighth-seeded Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-3 to reach his 11th ATP semifinal and first since Barcelona last April.
Striking with authority, Sinner reeled off nine consecutive points transforming a 2-all deadlock to a 5-2 second-set lead. Sinner scored his second straight love break racing through four games in a row force a final set.
Though the second seed was riding all the momentum, Mensik snatched it right back after taking about a four-minute bathroom break.
The Miami Open champion drained successive errors breaking Sinner to start the final set.
Though Sinner earned break-back point in the next game, Mensik stood tall under stress. Mensik slid an ace then drew a backhand error holding firm for 2-0.
Dancing around his two-hander, Mensik drilled a diagonal forehand holding for 3-1 after one hour, 52 minutes.
When Mensik wasn’t bludgeoning the ball from the baseline, he showed flashes of soft touch. Capping a surprise serve-and-volley with a clever backhand drop volley winner, Mensik stamped his first love hold of the decider for 4-2.
Down Love-30 in the final game, Sinner battled back to 30-all. Then Mensik blasted a backhand bolt down the line for match point. Driving another backhand, Mensik ended his biggest win, by ranking, in two hours, 11 minutes.
Sinner, who felt to 38-year-old Serbian superstar Novak Djokovic, the oldest man in the Top 20 at the Australian Open, lost to the ATP’s youngest Top 20 player today.