Jakub Mensik defeats Arthur Fils to reach his first Masters semi-final in Miami

Czech teenager Jakub Mensik advanced to his inaugural Masters semi-final in Miami on Thursday, overcoming France's Arthur Fils with a score of 7-6(5), 6-1.

Fils had celebrated one of the most significant victories of his career the previous day by defeating top seed Alexander Zverev; however, he found it challenging to replicate that success against the formidable 19-year-old Mensik.

The tall Czech's powerful serve proved to be overwhelming for Fils, particularly after a first set where the French player made a comeback but ultimately fell short in the tie-break.

"It feels incredible. I think the biggest result so far in my career, so I'm glad I just kept going since the first round," said Mensik.

"That's the key, to keep the focus during the two weeks, because it's always tough. The job is not done."

Mensik established an early advantage with a 4-1 lead but allowed Fils to re-enter the match, prompting the 20-year-old French player to push for a tie-break.

After overcoming Fils' resurgence, Mensik displayed remarkable composure in the second set, securing his victory in just 75 minutes.

Currently ranked 54th in the world, Mensik is set to compete against the winner of the quarter-final match between Taylor Fritz and Matteo Berrettini later on Thursday.

In another quarter-final, which was postponed from Wednesday, fourth-seed Novak Djokovic will face American Sebastian Korda, with the victor advancing to meet Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.

SportsLigue