Jakub Mensik is into his first-ever Grand Slam semifinal at Roland Garros, where he takes on Alexander Zverev.
Mensik beat Joao Fonseca in straight sets to reach the last four, recovering after failing to convert six match points in their dramatic quarterfinal.
The 20-year-old will now turn his focus to second seed Zverev, who is also seeking a maiden Grand Slam title after losing all three finals he has reached in his career.
Mensik does, however, enter the match at Roland Garros with a slight concern after experiencing discomfort in his left leg against Fonseca, while he even cramped in his post-match press conference.
The Czech youngster, who has also endured several lengthy matches in Paris, has now received advice from former ATP number one Andy Roddick ahead of his next match.
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Andy Roddick tells Jakub Mensik how to prepare for Alexander Zverev match
Roddick, who won his only Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2003, said on his Served podcast: “Mensik has two days off now.
“If I am his coach, I don’t even think you are going to the courts tomorrow. He does not need to hit more tennis balls.
“I think you get on the bike early, when you wake up, and you go as slow as you want. As soon as that sweat breaks [that’s it].
“I think you do body work early, and I think you do body work in the early evening as well. Two days is enough time to fully reset your body. He will be fine.
“If you can get through what he has gotten through, 16-and-a-half hours on court, he is going to be fine. I don’t think it’s much of a storyline going into Zverev.”
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Jakub Mensik’s lengthy route to the Roland Garros semifinals
It’s certainly a very important few days for Mensik, who will undoubtedly be feeling fatigued after his fantastic efforts so far.
The Paris heat will not have helped either, with the youngster now needing to fully utilize his time off from competition.
| Round | Opponent | Match time |
| One | Titouan Droguet | 02h09 |
| Two | Mariano Navone | 04h41 |
| Three | Alex de Minaur | 02h25 |
| Four | Andrey Rublev | 03h45 |
| Quarterfinals | Joao Fonseca | 02h44 |
He’s now played five matches at Roland Garros this year, including five-set battles against Andrey Rublev and Mariano Navone.
Mensik has also knocked out wildcard Titouan Droguet and top 10 player Alex de Minaur, with another shock now being targeted against ATP number three Zverev.
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