Zverev beat teenage wildcard Jodar 7-6, 6-1, 6-3 to reach the semi-finals as the highest remaining seed after Sinner's exit
Mensik ended Fonseca's fairytale run with a straight-sets win, setting up a semi-final against Zverev
With Alcaraz injured and Sinner and Djokovic already out, Zverev is now the overwhelming favourite for the title
Day 10 at Roland Garros delivered a compelling men's quarterfinal double-header, confirming Alexander Zverev and Jakub Mensik as the first two semi-finalists on the men's side. Mensik's incredible run continued on Tuesday evening after he defeated Joao Fonseca in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(3), to advance to the semi-final round.
Earlier in the day, Zverev dispatched teenage Spaniard Rafael Jodar. With Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic already gone and Carlos Alcaraz sidelined through injury, no man who reached the quarterfinals has ever won a major before, making this one of the most open men's draws in recent Grand Slam memory.
Zverev Ends Jodar's Fairytale, Mensik Stops Fonseca
Zverev ended 19-year-old Jodar's French Open dreams at the quarter-final stage, beating the Spaniard 7-6(3), 6-1, 6-3. The highest seed and clear favourite left in the draw following the shock exits of Sinner, Djokovic and Alcaraz's injury, Zverev rallied impressively after the Spaniard served for the opening set at 5-3, reeling off four of the next five games before sealing it in a tie-break. Once the opener was secured, the German's class told as Jodar's resistance crumbled.
The evening match between Mensik and Fonseca was billed as a clash of two teenage prodigies, and it lived up to its billing. Mensik dominated with his serve, amassing nine aces and winning 83 percent of his first-serve points. In the first set, Mensik broke Fonseca with the score tied at two games apiece and held serve from there to take it 6-4, with the same pattern repeating in the second set.
Fonseca, who had earlier beaten Djokovic and Ruud to reach the last eight, made Mensik fight hard in the third, saving six match points before the Czech sealed it in a tie-break. "It was one of my best performances so far," Mensik said.
A Semi-Final Built for the Ages
The crowd at Roland Garros watching the quarterfinal was firmly behind Fonseca, the Brazilian with the kind of charm he could turn into global stardom. Mensik is far more stoic but has a punishing serve. They might not yet be at the level of Sinner and Alcaraz, but they are creeping ever closer.
For now, it is Mensik who advances, setting up a mouth-watering semi-final with Zverev, the 2024 runner-up who remains the clear favourite to finally claim his first Grand Slam title. Aryna Sabalenka, Diana Shnaider, Anna Kalinskaya and Maja Chwalinska complete the remaining quarterfinal action on Wednesday.
