By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday October 24, 2024
Jakub Mensik continued his steady march up the rankings ladder with a win over Miomir Kecmanovic in Vienna.
Photo Source: TTV
19-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik continues to make waves in his breakout season.
Mensik took out Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 7-6(7) to reach the quarterfinals at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
Mensik reached his fifth ATP quarterfinal of the season and will face either Alex de Minaur or Flavio Cobolli next. He saved all four of the break points he faced against the Serbian and won 48 of 56 points behind his explosive first serve.
Mensik, who hit 23 aces in the one hour and 51 minute victory, saved a first set point while serving at 5-6, 30-40 in the second set. He cracked a passing shot winner from the midcourt to do the trick, but Kecmanovic would have another chance later in the set.
Mensik saved a second set point in the second-set tiebreak with a backhand down-the-line winner, then ripped a bomb first-serve that forced a Kecmanovic error on the next point.
Mensik converted his second match point when Kecmanovic lifted a forehand long.
Mensik qualified for the main draw in Vienna, then took out eighth-seeded Alexei Popyrin in the opening round 7-6(3), 6-2. With his win he’s up to 47 in the ATP live rankings and is slated to make his Top 50 debut next week. The 6’4” Czech was 167 in the world when he started his season at the ATP challenger in Canberra, Australia.
He has won 28 of 45 matches at ATP level in 2024.
He is currently the youngest player in the ATP’s Top 100.
Elsewhere in Vienna, Jack Draper defeated Luciano Darderi, 7-5, 6-1, while Tomas Machac dealt Grigor Dimitrov’s chances of making the field at the ATP Finals in Turin a blow by defeating the Bulgarian 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3. Draper and Machac will meet in the quarterfinals.