Jakub Menšík reaches French Open semifinal

Jakub Menšík reached his first Grand Slam semifinal on Tuesday after beating João Fonseca 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (3) in the French Open quarterfinals in Paris. The 20-year-old Czech advanced to the last four days after needing a wheelchair following cramps and dehydration earlier in the tournament. His win over the 19-year-old Brazilian set up a semifinal against second-seeded Alexander Zverev on Friday. The result also ended one of the breakout runs of the men’s draw at Roland-Garros. ### How unusual was Menšík’s path into the semifinal? Less than a week before the quarterfinal, Menšík collapsed to the clay after beating Mariano Navone in a fifth-set tiebreak in the second round and later left in a wheelchair, according to the Associated Press. He had struggled in the heat during the opening week and required medical attention on court before being helped away. (nbcsports.com) Two days later, Menšík lost the first set 6-0 against Alex de Minaur before recovering to win in four sets, AP reported. He then needed five sets again to get past Andrey Rublev in the fourth round, which made his straight-sets win over Fonseca his cleanest result of the event so far. (nbcsports.com) ### What did he do against Fonseca that changed the match? Menšík controlled the quarterfinal with his serve and front-court play. AP reported he won 13 of 15 serve-and-volley points, while Fonseca tried the tactic once and lost the point. (nbcsports.com) The ATP said Menšík finished the match in two hours and 33 minutes and converted his seventh match point. The tour’s match report said he absorbed Fonseca’s power from the baseline, moved forward with confidence and became the first man born in 2004 or later to reach the last four of a major. (nbcsports.com) Menšík said in his on-court interview that both players started nervously before the level rose late in the match. “I’m super happy that I came back,” he said, adding that he stayed focused after falling behind by two breaks in the third set. ### Why was Fonseca’s defeat notable too? (atptour.com) Fonseca, 19, had arrived in the quarterfinal after one of the tournament’s biggest upsets. AP reported he beat 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in five sets in the third round and then eliminated two-time runner-up Casper Ruud in the fourth. (atptour.com) The ATP said Fonseca had spent 14 hours and 29 minutes on court across his first four matches. That workload followed a run that had made the quarterfinal one of the youngest men’s last-eight matches in Paris since Rafael Nadal, then 20, played Novak Djokovic, then 19, in 2006. (nbcsports.com) ### What does Menšík’s semifinal matchup look like? Alexander Zverev reached the semifinals earlier Tuesday by beating Rafael Jódar 7-6 (3), 6-1, 6-3 on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Roland-Garros said the 29-year-old German moved into another semifinal after taking control once he recovered from a slow start in the opening set. (atptour.com) The official tournament site said Zverev’s win put him into the last four against Menšík. AP also identified Friday’s semifinal as a meeting between Menšík and the second seed for a place in Sunday’s final. ### What has Menšík said about his condition? After the de Minaur match, Menšík said he had dealt with “cramps and super dehydrations” and had tried to get as much fluid into his body as possible. (rolandgarros.com) He said he came back “strong enough to compete again on the highest level” in what he called “very cruel conditions.” Friday’s semifinal will put that recovery under another test. Menšík is seeking a first major final, while Zverev is trying to reach another Roland-Garros final after advancing through the other quarterfinal on June 2. (rolandgarros.com) (nbcsports.com)