A teenager between Novak Djokovic and history

In Sunday’s final Djokovic will find 19-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik, who surprisingly hit the most important milestone of his career by beating U.S. Taylor Fritz in the deciding tie break (76 46 76). Deciding the challenge were the 25 aces Mensik netted in 17 turnovers, but above all the two masterful tie-breaks he dominated and won both by 7 points to 4.

“Responding today was really difficult – Jakub Mensik commented at the end of the match – and that pretty much took away my chance to break. I thought the’only chance was to win the tie-breaks and that”.

Fritz was two points away from defeat at 4-5 and 5-6 in the third set, but he still managed to finish the match by holding all 17 turnovers (80 percent points made with the first serve by Fritz, 82 percent by Mensik). In the deciding tie-break Mensik won a crazy 27-point exchange that allowed him to make the mini-break and hoist himself to double match point. The first was enough for him to get a resounding victory.

Mensik, who had started the tournament as world No. 54, is virtually already among the world’s top 30 players. Should he beat Djokovic he would rise further to the number 24 position. To find a player younger than Mensik in the final in Miami one has to go back to Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, both finalists here at age 18. Rafa in 2005 when he lost 61 in the fifth to Federer and Carlitos in 2022 when he instead overcame Casper Ruud in the final. The’only previous between Mensik and Djokovic was played last October in Shanghai, a match won 67 61 64 by Nole.