Czech teenager Jakub Mensik stuns top seed Andrey Rublev at Qatar Open, secures first ATP semi-final spot
By Ovaise Shariff | First Published Feb 23, 2024, 10:56 AM ISTCzech teenager Jakub Mensik stuns top seed Andrey Rublev at the Qatar Open, securing a spot in his first ATP semi-final and making tennis history.
At the Qatar Open, Czech teenager Jakub Mensik pulled off a remarkable upset by defeating top seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets on Thursday, securing a spot in his maiden ATP semi-final and ensuring his entry into the world's top 100 for the first time.
A new teen on the scene 👏
18 yr old and world no.116 Jakub Mensik defeats Rublev 6-4 7-6 to secure top 100 debut and reach Doha semi-finals! pic.twitter.com/jkUp4NlFqy
The 18-year-old wildcard, ranked 116th upon arrival in the Gulf, triumphed 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) against the fifth-ranked Rublev, a day after overcoming three-time Grand Slam title winner Andy Murray. Reflecting on his achievement, Mensik expressed, "It's just been an incredible week. From the beginning, I played very well and knew I could compete with the big players. It's an amazing feeling to reach the semi-finals after beating those formidable opponents."
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With this one-hour, 38-minute victory, Mensik became the youngest player to defeat a top-five player since Carlos Alcaraz's triumph over Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2021 US Open. His next challenge in the semi-finals will be the 2018 champion Gael Monfils, who, at 37 years and five months, became the oldest semi-finalist in Qatar tournament history after defeating third seed Ugo Humbert 6-2, 6-4 in an all-French clash.
In the other semi-final, Australia's Alexei Popyrin secured his spot by breezing past Kazakh fourth seed Alexander Bublik 6-4, 6-4, while Russian second seed Karen Khachanov advanced when Finnish opponent Emil Ruusuvuori retired with a back injury after just three games. The stage is set for an intriguing battle in the semi-finals as these players vie for a place in Saturday's final.
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