PARIS, June 5 (Reuters) – Czech youngster Jakub Mensik compared playing Alexander Zverev to “hitting a wall” after the German second seed ended his French Open dream in the semi-finals on Friday.
The 20-year-old Mensik, making his maiden Grand Slam semi-final appearance at Roland Garros, found the world number three’s relentless defence and consistent baseline game difficult to overcome on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Zverev’s ability to return nearly every shot left the 26th-seeded Czech struggling to find any rhythm. Sunday’s final will see the German face Flavio Cobolli, who got a walkover after his fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi withdrew due to a virus.
“Sascha is a very tough guy on the court. I mean, he’s not giving you any free points. It’s very tough to find the rhythm, especially when he’s staying so much back and you feel like you’re hitting the wall,” Mensik said.
The 20-year-old, who impressed during his run to the semis, admitted it was difficult to break through Zverev’s game.
“Even if I had some great games and had some opportunities, still, with his huge serves and, basically, strong game from the baseline, it was super difficult for me to attack him and to find the momentum and take the momentum on my side,” he said.
Mensik was playing only his second Roland Garros main draw.
Despite the defeat, the Czech, who lost in the second round last year, reflected positively on his French Open campaign.
“I’m super happy that I could reach the semi-finals and that I could beat a lot of top players,” he said. “I will take it as a great, great tournament.”
(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide; Editing by Ken Ferris)
