Resolute Mensik makes Paris semis, Andreeva and Kostyuk set up meeting

PARIS, June 2 : Jakub Mensik battled past Brazilian breakout star Joao Fonseca with a 6-4 6-3 7-6(3) win to make the semi-finals of the French Open on Tuesday and become the youngest Czech man to reach that stage at a Grand Slam.

While Fonseca fell, fellow teenager Mirra Andreeva returned to the semi-finals with a 6-0 6-3 win over practice partner Sorana Cirstea to keep her superb Roland Garros run going.

Days after collapsing on the red dirt of Paris following a second-round victory in sweltering conditions, the 20-year-old Mensik shone on a cool evening following a spell of rain to book a last-four clash with title favourite Alexander Zverev.

"The last 20-30 minutes of the match, it was just a really insane level from both of us and had a lot of key moments," Mensik said after surpassing compatriot Ivan Lendl, who reached the 1981 Paris semi-finals at the age of 21.

"Even after the matchpoints that I didn't manage to take when I was 6-5 up, I'm happy that I stayed mentally focused and calm and managed to level up my game in the tiebreak and be the one who managed to take it."

After four straight holds of serve to kick off the contest under the Court Philippe Chatrier roof, the momentum swung when Mensik edged ahead with a break, and the Czech stayed firm from there to win the opening set.

The ice-cool Mensik tightened his grip on the contest when the second set unfolded in similar fashion, as the 19-year-old Fonseca's serve let him down at a crucial moment and he then struggled to find a way past the wall in front of him.

The youngest Roland Garros men's quarter-final since a 20-year-old Rafa Nadal defeated a teenage Novak Djokovic in 2006 looked in danger of becoming a rout as Mensik bagged the set when his opponent pushed