If we look at the most interesting names on the men’s circuit who have not yet turned twenty, Jakub Mensik appears as one of the main attractions. The start of the 2024 academic year invites us to think that something bigger is yet to come.
It could be this week ATP 250 de Doha, where he will play his first round against Alejandro Davidovich, but first it is better to review what has already happened in this month and a half of competition. In a talk with her own ATPthe player from the Czech Republic remembers the experience gained at the Australian Open, where he surpassed the Qualy and won a match in the final draw. It may not seem like much, but you have to keep in mind that Jakub Mensik He is still 18 years old and that was his second time in a main draw of Grand Slam. If we also take into account that he had already made the third round at the US Open, the assessment can only be positive.
“This Australian Open has been a great tournament for me. The qualifying rounds were quite tough, but I got to play against Denis Shapovalov, a former top 10 player, and what happened happened,” confesses the Czech about that straight-sets victory against the Canadian. “I was very happy with that performance and that victory. Then in the second round against Hubert Hurkacz as well, it was the second time in my career that I faced a world top 10 player, the other had been last year against Fritz at the US Open. Fighting with Hurkacz to five sets in a match that lasted more than three hours was a great experience,” adds the current #129 in the rankings.
Things against the Pole no longer ended with a happy ending, but it was of great merit to see how Jakub stretched the battle to a fifth round, putting the great favorite on the ropes in one of the most famous tournaments on the calendar. “The match with Hurkacz, in some way, I can compare with Fritz’s in New York. Last season I faced the American in that third round and he quickly took me off the court. Four months later I played against an opponent of the same level, but this time the score went to five sets. There you can see the improvement, which gives me a lot of confidence for the future,” acknowledges one of the youngest players of his generation to win a Challenger.
Precisely, his current season started on the Challenger circuit, reaching the final in Canberra where he lost to the German Dominik Koepfer. By ranking is the category where you should be, although we already know how the professional circuit elevator works, in a few weeks you can be going up and down several floors. “It is very difficult to pass the barrier of the Challenger circuit, all the players who are there are also capable of breaking into ATP events, like this one in Doha. Right now I have the confidence that I can compete against the greats, I see that I can really beat the greats,” says the man who will face Davidovich in his next match.
A PARTNER IN THE HEIGHTS
The Czech Republic had been waiting for this generational change for a few years, something that has finally arrived with several special players. Mensik will not be alone, nor were Berdych, Stepanek or Vesely at the time. Next to him appears a certain Use Lehecka, who already knows what it is like to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam and who currently acts as the best tennis player in his country, among the 30 best in the world. His figure will be fundamental so that Jakub has a partner to rely on on this long road.
“Compared to many players on the ATP circuit, we are both very young,” the Czech assesses about himself and his compatriot. “It’s great that Jiri is also settled in Prostejov, where we can practice a lot and get to know each other better. He helps me a lot, I think that for the future that is also very positive for the Davis Cup. We can still improve a lot, also adding the figure of Tomas Machac, I think we all have the talent to reach the top20,” he concludes.
2024-02-19 15:00:10
#beat #greats
