Teenager Mensik reaches first Masters 1000 semi-final with win over Fils in Miami

Czech teenager Jakub Mensik moved into the semi-finals of a Masters 1000 event for the first time in his career on Thursday as he beat Frenchman Arthur Fils, the No 17 seed, 7-6 (5), 6-1.

Mensik, ranked No 54, hit 13 aces as he ended the brilliant run of Fils to set up a match against either Taylor Fritz, the No 3 seed, or Italian Matteo Berrettini, the No 29 seed.

“It feels incredible,” he said. “I think the biggest result so far in my career, so I’m glad I just kept going since the first round. That’s the key, to keep the focus during the two weeks, because it’s always tough. The job is not done.”

FILS MISSES CHANCE IN FIRST SET

Fils had beaten world No 2 and top seed Alexander Zverev in the previous round but Mensik raced to a 4-1 lead in the opening set, his big serve doing damage.

But Fils hit back and after levelling at 4-4, he had two break points at 15-40 on the Mensik serve, only for the Czech to hold them both – one with a second serve ace – and then recover from 3-1 down in the tiebreak to move up a set.

Again, Mensik raced ahead in the second set and this time there was no pulling him back as he broke three times in all to take victory.

In the previous rounds of the Miami Open, Jakub Mensik won against Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut (6-4, 3-6, 6-1), No 6 seed Jack Draper (7-6 (2), 7-6 (3)), Russian Roman Safiullin (6-4, 6-4) and No 20 seed Tomas Machac (W/O).

Fils, ranked No 18, defeated Canadian lucky loser Gabriel Diallo (6-4, 2-3 ret.), American Frances Tiafoe, the No 16 seed (7-6 (11), 5-7, 6-2) and German Alexander Zverev, the top seed (3-6, 6-3, 6-4) earlier in the tournament.

Miami Masters 1000, other quarter-final results (Hard Rock Stadium, hard, USD 9.193.540, most recent results first):

• Taylor Fritz vs. Matteo Berrettini
• Sebastian Korda vs. Novak Djokovic
• Grigor Dimitrov (14) beat Francisco Cerundolo (23): 6-7 (6), 6-4, 7-6 (3)