Joao Fonseca v Jakub Mensik LIVE: Latest scores as young starlets face off in blockbuster quarter-final – UK Times

These two have only faced off once before, in the final of the ATP Next Gen event in 2024, a fast-four, heavily modified tournament.

Fonseca came out on top in five tight sets, so this one – a genuine best-of-five – could be a late one.

2025 Miami champion Jakub Mensik has also endured his fair share of epics this French Open, winning two lengthy five-setters – against Mariano Navone in the second round and coming back from two sets to love down against Andrey Rublev in the fourth round – to make the quarter-finals.

He beat wildcard Titouan Droguet in straight sets in the first round but has otherwise been made to work for it, and recovered from a 6-0 drubbing in the first set against Alex de Minaur to beat the eighth seed in four sets in the third round.

Brazilian 19-year-old Joao Fonseca has had a presence in this draw as destructive as his shotmaking, having seen off 24-time major winner and all-time legend Novak Djokovic in five thrilling sets in the third round.

He backed that up with a four-set win over two-time Roland-Garros finalist Casper Ruud in the fourth round to reach the last eight.

His earlier wins were over qualifier Luka Pavlovic in the first round and a five-set epic over Dino Prizmic – in which he came back from two sets to love down, the same as against Djokovic – to win.

The final match of today should be a thriller as two young starlets face off for a place in the semi-final.

Joao Fonseca takes on Jakub Mensik in the night session on Philippe Chatrier, which kicks off at 8.15pm local time (7.15pm BST).

Alexander Zverev does not care about reaching semi-finals. He wants the title.

“I want to keep going, of course. I want to be in the tournament, and I want to win the matches that are ahead of me, and that’s my goal, that’s my aim.

“I feel like today was a very tough test against a very good player, and I managed. I won, and of course I’m happy to be in the semi-finals, but for now, that’s it.

”He had a perfect rhythm in the first set, and I didn’t. My balls were very short, I was very defensive. Again, the conditions completely different, string intention different, the way the ball reacts off the ground was completely different, the ball was not bouncing as high, so a heavy top spin was not really beneficial. I had to flatten my shots out a little bit more.

“He was playing amazing. He outplayed me in the beginning of the first set. But I managed to come back. He played a little bit of a nervous game, when he served for it, and then, yeah, I took my chance as well, and after that it was, it was a good match for me.”

What a debut it’s been for Rafael Jodar. His second appearance at a grand slam and he only went and made the quarter-finals at the age of 19. He played some long matches, showed brilliant fight and grit, and will surely be back for lots more.

Zverev is through, 7-6(3), 6-1, 6-3 to the second seed as he closes in on his first major title! He is back into the French Open semi-finals for a fifth time in six years.

After a competitive first set, Zverev tightened his grip on the match and the 19-year-old Jodar faded in the second and third. He had a break point chance late in the third but Zverev found back-to-back aces to close it out. On match point, he thunders a forehand winner down the line. What a way to finish.

He will be the favourite against either Jakub Mensik, 20, or Joao Fonseca, 19, in the semi-finals. With experience on his side, as he bids for a fourth grand slam final, is this Zverev’s time at last?

This was looking super assured from Alexander Zverev until he suddenly shanks a forehand that skipped off the chalk and has to look at 30-30.

Zverev then lasts wide on the backhand! From nowhere Rafael Jodar will have a look at break point, for the first time since the start of the opening set.

Zverev produces a huge serve down the T, then another ace out wide, to take the racket out of Jodar’s hand.

Alexander Zverev remains a break up. He is three games away from a fifth Roland Garros semi-final in six years. His previous two defeats in the tournament came against Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.

2025: Djokovic – quarter-finals

2022: Retired vs Nadal – semi-finals

2021: Tsitsipas – semi-finals

The fight is slipping from Rafael Jodar. He goes long of the baseline, with this one definitely out as the umpire checks the mark, before slumping a backhand into the net down two break points. Since serving for the set at 5-3 in the first set, the 19-year-old has only won a couple of games.