Latest / Bleacher Report / Zverev & Mensik Advance to Face Off in Semifinal | Roland-Garros 2026

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Zverev & Mensik Advance to Face Off in Semifinal | Roland-Garros 2026 · Bleacher Report

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Dual.
• 0:00
  Speaker 2: Fonseka fought and it was highlights that you need to see.
• 0:03
  Speaker 2: Let's relive it one more time. Menchic Jul twenty years old,
• 0:08
  Speaker 2: nineteen years old and early on that men Chic served
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: Fonseica dealing with it. Men Chic kind of had control early.
• 0:16
  Speaker 3: Yeah, the battle of the youngsters. This match was really
• 0:18
  Speaker 3: exciting to see men Chic hitting big serves all day.
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: Fonseka with the big four hand.
• 0:23
  Speaker 3: It's a little cold right now, right even though the
• 0:24
  Speaker 3: roofs closed, it is a little chilly, and I think
• 0:26
  Speaker 3: men Cheek he is. He's a big guy, he's got
• 0:29
  Speaker 3: six to six. He was able to kind of hit
• 0:30
  Speaker 3: the serve through that cold air still and it didn't
• 0:33
  Speaker 3: seem to make much of a difference. But these guys,
• 0:35
  Speaker 3: both both of them really showed off their skills and
• 0:37
  Speaker 3: I can see first set it was Menchik six of
• 0:42
  Speaker 3: the same from the man from Czech Republic, came to
• 0:45
  Speaker 3: the net, showed off the feel. He got up a
• 0:47
  Speaker 3: quick two sets to love.
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: Yeah, he did.
• 0:49
  Speaker 4: He played a fantastic two sets. So we talked about
• 0:51
  Speaker 4: the weather. He reminds me of his countryman, Tomas Burdage.
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: Damn has easy power for a really big guy. But
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: just look at his movement. His movement tonight I think
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: was so elite. We didn't really talk about that with him.
• 1:05
  Speaker 4: Halloweli, he moves, talk about to serve in his backhand.
• 1:07
  Speaker 4: He looks so good moving all around the court today.
• 1:10
  Speaker 4: But this is where he really turned things around.
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: Look at this.
• 1:13
  Speaker 4: Look at this juncture of the match. Fonseka set point
• 1:16
  Speaker 4: on serve.
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: What does Minshik do. He keeps battling back.
• 1:19
  Speaker 4: He gets it back on serve to level up this
• 1:22
  Speaker 4: set and to take it to the business end of
• 1:25
  Speaker 4: this third set.
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: This right here incredible point for fun. Second, this is
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: when the crowd was really really getting energized. You could
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: hear the roars of the crowd.
• 1:33
  Speaker 4: Did not go on to win that game, however, this
• 1:35
  Speaker 4: is where Minshik had about six I believe that six
• 1:38
  Speaker 4: match points.
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: Six match points. They uping out the serve.
• 1:41
  Speaker 4: And volley serve and Bali massive second serve fourhand into
• 1:45
  Speaker 4: the open court, doing everything to get that crowd on
• 1:48
  Speaker 4: his side.
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: But Minshik, to his credit, did not bat his eye
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: at all.
• 1:51
  Speaker 3: Now, the last fifteen minutes of this match was great, right.
• 1:54
  Speaker 3: We had the back end course We had amazing points
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: again with the movement with Menschik. Not only does it
• 1:57
  Speaker 3: get up there, he finds the angle and net. We
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: couldn't quite see it there at the end, but Menchk
• 2:02
  Speaker 3: got up to the early mini break in this tiebreaker
• 2:04
  Speaker 3: and just didn't let up.
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: Shows off the field.
• 2:07
  Speaker 3: A final point here and it's Menschik into the semifinals.
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: Yeah, twenty and zero now this season after winning a
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: first set. He is the first player on the men's
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: side born two thousand and four or later to make
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: a Grand Slam semifinal. We talked all day about Vonek, Fonseka,
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: and Hodar, but Menschk is the youngster that finds himself
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: in the semifinals. Just to illustrate how strong that serve is.
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: Number one eighty three percent first serve points one. Number two,
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: he faced no break points for the first two sets,
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: had control that entire time. This season, he's now fifteen
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: to five in tie breaks. This is a kid that
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: beat Sinner in Doha, Novak in Miami. The resume is long,
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: and now he lock knocks off von Seka. Afterwards, he
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: talked with reporter to give his insight on a huge
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: win and a semi final.
• 3:03
  Speaker 5: Birth still in the match, you know a little bit.
• 3:07
  Speaker 5: So like you said, I'm enjoy a great guy, great competitor,
• 3:13
  Speaker 5: and yeah, before the match, I knew it's gonna be
• 3:16
  Speaker 5: tough one basically second meeting, and yeah, we started a
• 3:24
  Speaker 5: little bit nervous, and then I'm in the end of
• 3:28
  Speaker 5: the match. There was some incredible shots and I'm super
• 3:31
  Speaker 5: happy that I'm the one that came back when in
• 3:36
  Speaker 5: the third set, I was a couple of breakdowns, so
• 3:39
  Speaker 5: I'm happy I managed to stay focused, stay in the
• 3:42
  Speaker 5: match and keep fighting Italy and.
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: So horribly the was It's like.
• 3:51
  Speaker 6: Yeah, can you explain us a little bit that game
• 3:58
  Speaker 6: at six five, because it was absolutely insane.
• 4:02
  Speaker 7: I have to say, I don't know about you, but
• 4:04
  Speaker 7: I was sweating. My heart was beating so high, and
• 4:08
  Speaker 7: you looked like so calm where you come or you're
• 4:11
  Speaker 7: nervous or how did you control that? Because I don't
• 4:13
  Speaker 7: know if you have eyes, your veins or.
• 4:17
  Speaker 5: No. I mean like I said, I mean we started
• 4:19
  Speaker 5: the match a little bit nervous both and at the end,
• 4:23
  Speaker 5: like you said, I'm in the last game and the tiebreak.
• 4:27
  Speaker 5: It was one of my best performances so far. So yeah,
• 4:31
  Speaker 5: like you said, I mean it was really tough. It
• 4:47
  Speaker 5: was really tough to stay focused till the end. A
• 4:50
  Speaker 5: couple of match points. I mean this, I don't even
• 4:53
  Speaker 5: know if it was out or in, so basically it
• 4:57
  Speaker 5: could be over. But I'm happy that i' he came
• 5:01
  Speaker 5: back into tiebreak and yeah, still move my game a
• 5:06
  Speaker 5: little bit forwards and.
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: The first serve, the plus one game a true weapon.
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: Everybody needs one. That's what men Chic has. Mister awesome serve,
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: mister mount rushmore of serve. How impressed were you with
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: what men Sheik was dealing.
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: Yeah, he was serving great.
• 5:23
  Speaker 4: Sixty five percent on his first Sho've only got broken
• 5:26
  Speaker 4: broken twice. Thought, that's pretty good. Broke serve five times.
• 5:29
  Speaker 4: I use this Apart from his serve, he was so impressive.
• 5:32
  Speaker 4: Sam and I talked about his movement and his touch
• 5:34
  Speaker 4: in his feel didn't give it. I don't think anyone's
• 5:37
  Speaker 4: gave Hi much credit for his touch and feel, and
• 5:38
  Speaker 4: he showed at the end, especially in that third set tiebreaker.
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: He used all that to his advantage to take it home.
• 5:43
  Speaker 3: Yeah, and a lot of times the forehand. If there
• 5:45
  Speaker 3: is a weakness, it's the forehand. Side and that held
• 5:47
  Speaker 3: up tonight. He was going fourhand to forehand with Fonseka.
• 5:50
  Speaker 3: He also did a good job on his backhand of
• 5:52
  Speaker 3: going up the line to the fans sake of forehand,
• 5:54
  Speaker 3: knowing Fonseka wants to run around his backhand so it'll
• 5:57
  Speaker 3: be a little room on that deuce court. He kind
• 5:59
  Speaker 3: of exposed a little bit. He'd go big to the forehand,
• 6:01
  Speaker 3: then he would go to the open court of the
• 6:03
  Speaker 3: backhand side of fun sake, and kind of get on
• 6:05
  Speaker 3: top of the point.
• 6:06
  Speaker 8: I mean, I just thought it was so cool to
• 6:07
  Speaker 8: see how cool he was. He was just one point
• 6:10
  Speaker 8: by point and he didn't seem nervous at all. He
• 6:13
  Speaker 8: just knew what his game plan was and he went
• 6:15
  Speaker 8: for it. And even there in the third set it
• 6:17
  Speaker 8: looked like he maybe had hurt his leg a little bit,
• 6:20
  Speaker 8: but even then he was like, no problem, I'm just
• 6:22
  Speaker 8: going to keep going. I'm not going to think about it.
• 6:24
  Speaker 8: And for being so young, he looked like he had
• 6:27
  Speaker 8: such great composure out there.
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: Yeah, the resume is serious and the stoicism is focused.
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: Who would he face Let's find out, you know, he
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: faced Zverev taken on Rapa Hodar. We had a lot
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: of hope for the young guy. Started off strong in
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: the first set, but the poisons Verev was pretty darn stuff. Yeah,
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: there's almost a carbon copy of Zverev's last match in
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: the round sixteen against De Yong. It's ho Dar getting
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: on top early in the first set. Vera would would
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: drop his serve, of course, but then he breaks back
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: at love right here at three five down and from
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: that point, let's big roar gets the momentum backed on
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: its side again.
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: What does he do? He plays a really good tie
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: break at Roland Geros.
• 7:07
  Speaker 4: Which improves his Tibreaker record in his career to twenty
• 7:10
  Speaker 4: six wins.
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: And two losses in Tibrekers.
• 7:12
  Speaker 4: Absolutely incredible and again much like the other day, once
• 7:16
  Speaker 4: he won this first set, I think a lot of
• 7:18
  Speaker 4: the pressure was lifted off of him and he started
• 7:20
  Speaker 4: playing his best ball in the second and third set.
• 7:22
  Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly, when Hoddan lost serve in that first set
• 7:25
  Speaker 3: at Love, Verav just relaxed the shoulders, took advantage of
• 7:28
  Speaker 3: that tiebreaker, got an early break in this second set.
• 7:31
  Speaker 3: The best part about Zeri's game Zara's game today was
• 7:34
  Speaker 3: the serve first serve percentage was really high backed it
• 7:36
  Speaker 3: up with big penetrating ground shows, and at the end
• 7:38
  Speaker 3: of the day, I think Hoddar might have been a
• 7:40
  Speaker 3: little tired. He's played a couple of tough matches. Vera
• 7:43
  Speaker 3: hasn't spent that much time on court, and Zavera did
• 7:46
  Speaker 3: get the weight of his ball not only the first serve,
• 7:48
  Speaker 3: but the forehand in the back end. He could just
• 7:50
  Speaker 3: step back five six feet behind the baseline and actually
• 7:53
  Speaker 3: bully his opponents around, and Hoddar just wasn't.
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: Up to the challenge.
• 7:57
  Speaker 3: Today's Veram again gets up to a quick break and
• 8:00
  Speaker 3: the third set it just rolled from there.
• 8:02
  Speaker 4: Yeah, he finally did actually have to save a breakpoint
• 8:04
  Speaker 4: at that four to three game with the big serve,
• 8:06
  Speaker 4: like he did all day long, and this foehand on
• 8:10
  Speaker 4: match point coming up right here was indicative of how
• 8:14
  Speaker 4: well he played all day. He is looking so good
• 8:17
  Speaker 4: moving on to the semifinals two days off, he's going
• 8:20
  Speaker 4: to be absolutely well rested, and he's definitely right now.
• 8:23
  Speaker 4: Of course, we've spoken about this that Link.
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: Is the favorite to take the title.
• 8:26
  Speaker 6: Here.
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: He makes his fourth semifinal in the last five years.
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: The only miss was last year on the quarterfinals to
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: Djokovic dropped just one set the entire tournament thus far,
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: and as you mentioned, getting two days off eleven major semifinals,
• 8:42
  Speaker 2: second of the year, and he is ten to one
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: in majors this year. The only loss to Alcaaz in
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: five at the Australian Open, he had Alcoraz cramping. People
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: thought maybe that was going to be the time. It
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: is Verev, it is Menchic. I know, Caroline, you were
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: saying men Chic might be the one with that serve
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: and that focus to maybe maybe get a chance to
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: take towns Verev.
• 9:07
  Speaker 8: I think he's the only one left in a draw
• 9:09
  Speaker 8: who can really troubles Zverev. In my opinions, Verev has
• 9:11
  Speaker 8: looked so good throughout this tournament. He's not played a
• 9:15
  Speaker 8: lot of sets, he hasn't been out on court as
• 9:17
  Speaker 8: long as all the others. He's getting two days off,
• 9:20
  Speaker 8: So is men Chic. But to me, Minchik is the
• 9:23
  Speaker 8: one who's really looked steady, and as I said before,
• 9:25
  Speaker 8: his composure, he looks calm out there. It doesn't look
• 9:29
  Speaker 8: like this seems like a big moment for him. He
• 9:31
  Speaker 8: doesn't seem satisfied, and that's something that I feel like
• 9:34
  Speaker 8: maybe for Hodar after that first set today it just
• 9:37
  Speaker 8: seemed like the aerwent.
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: Out of the balloon.
• 9:39
  Speaker 8: It seemed like he was overwhelmed. Then seemed like it
• 9:42
  Speaker 8: was going to be a long way back to win
• 9:44
  Speaker 8: the next three sets.
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: They have played. Zverev leads the series one to now.
• 9:47
  Speaker 2: When it was recent fourth round of Madrid, Zverev one
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: in three, six', four sixt', seven six,' three i emphasized
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: the six Seven because verev in tie breaks has been
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: phenomenal that to but here At rolling garo's twenty six and,
• 10:02
  Speaker 2: two Overall men chik has the serve that if you
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: get to a, tie break it's not maybe a guaranteed Win.
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: For zverev what do?
• 10:10
  Speaker 3: You think do you Agree with caro that he has. A, chance,
• 10:12
  Speaker 3: YEAH look i think the winner of that match is
• 10:14
  Speaker 3: going to win, the tournament right and they both have
• 10:16
  Speaker 3: two days off TO nowl i kept Thinking maybe menschik
• 10:19
  Speaker 3: would get a little tired if it wasn't in, this
• 10:21
  Speaker 3: match the. Previous match he's proved, Me wrong he's proved.
• 10:24
  Speaker 3: Everyone wrong he was moving out there late in that.
• 10:25
  Speaker 3: Third set he gets forty eight, hours off but he
• 10:28
  Speaker 3: has two days to recover as with, two DAYS so
• 10:29
  Speaker 3: i expect him to be basically feeling one, hundred percent
• 10:32
  Speaker 3: but he'll be close, to hundred close to horse short than.
• 10:34
  Speaker 3: Two days, and yes he has the first serve he
• 10:37
  Speaker 3: can he can Almost match verev with first serve for,
• 10:40
  Speaker 3: first serve And men sheik has the big. Baseline game
• 10:43
  Speaker 3: he's going to be able to step into some balls
• 10:45
  Speaker 3: And push verev around a. Little bit having, SAID that
• 10:48
  Speaker 3: i Still think zverev is quite a big favorite in.
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: THAT match, I mean.
• 10:51
  Speaker 4: Zvera has been consistently serving for serve percentage in, you
• 10:55
  Speaker 4: know higher than.
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: Seventy percent today was.
• 10:56
  Speaker 4: Eighty percent if he starves anything close to, EIGHTY percent
• 10:59
  Speaker 4: i think it lights Out. For minshk he's playing, that
• 11:02
  Speaker 4: well but It's a verev on.
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: The serve it's almost like an.
• 11:06
  Speaker 4: Automatic hold and then he backs it up with this
• 11:08
  Speaker 4: all court game that he's playing. Right now it is just.
• 11:11
  Speaker 4: So IMPRESSIVE but i do Agree with Caroline and sam
• 11:14
  Speaker 4: Here that minshek could be the one guy to. Do
• 11:17
  Speaker 4: it it's a tall mountain. To climb that's just How good.
• 11:19
  Speaker 4: Zvere's playing you guys were both right before.
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: The, match kyle she had the odds At about joe
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: Al fon sega sixty five percent to thirty. Five percent
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: you said it feels more like. A pickam what would
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: you set it for That was verev And. Men chic
• 11:32
  Speaker 2: let's start off with the.
• 11:33
  Speaker 4: ODDS maker i feel like that sixty five percent probably
• 11:37
  Speaker 4: more outskew it more closer to seventy percent would.
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: Be accurate so you Would.
• 11:40
  Speaker 2: Put zerav at, seventy, percent yea probably a little more
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: than a two to.
• 11:44
  Speaker 3: One favorite, FOR me i couldn't agree more sixty five
• 11:47
  Speaker 3: seventy whatever you want. To Say that's i'm kind of
• 11:48
  Speaker 3: going to save.
• 11:49
  Speaker 8: THEIR heads i think seventy is a. LITTLE steep i
• 11:51
  Speaker 8: would say sixty to sixty five Only because veref is
• 11:54
  Speaker 8: the one with all. The pressure he's going to feel
• 11:55
  Speaker 8: a little bit. Out there he's had slow starts to
• 11:57
  Speaker 8: the first set in the last. TWO matches i feel
• 12:00
  Speaker 8: like If men chic can get that, first set, you
• 12:04
  Speaker 8: know a lot of pressure starts coming On and verev
• 12:06
  Speaker 8: not having really been. Challenged, here yeah so thinking about
• 12:10
  Speaker 8: it's a.
• 12:10
  Speaker 4: Good point verev can't can't afford to get off to
• 12:12
  Speaker 4: a slow start like that and loses served Early to
• 12:14
  Speaker 4: minshi because he's he's more of a of an automatic
• 12:17
  Speaker 4: hole than Deyong. In Hodar so zverev needs, to be,
• 12:21
  Speaker 4: you know on top of. This game make sure he
• 12:23
  Speaker 4: comes out fast and not get down an early break
• 12:25
  Speaker 4: like he has in the last.
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: Two matches and you.
• 12:26
  Speaker 3: Wonder Too because verev has. Been cruising Let's say zveric
• 12:29
  Speaker 3: goes down a set and. A break he hasn't felt
• 12:31
  Speaker 3: any bit of real pressure. So far this right only
• 12:33
  Speaker 3: to be awkward if it starts in a.
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: Semi final the only set he lost was that third
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: set burp to a lease where it was like a
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: break in that it, was like, come, on man. We,
• 12:41
  Speaker 2: burn yeah we could be out of here, by now but.
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: It happened let's check Out the. Calci odds here's where
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: it stands right Now between Zverev and menschk heading into.
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: This semifinal So obviously i'm still learning how this Works
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: with calci sixty three percent, twelve percent but we'll focus
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: on the sixty Three per let's focus. On that so
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: a little bit Of what caro, was saying the two
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: to one type of odds.
• 13:04
  Speaker 9: Right, NOW yeah i MEAN that i said kind, OF
• 13:09
  Speaker 9: well i said a little more Than caroly i said
• 13:11
  Speaker 9: sixty to sixty so that she might write she hid
• 13:14
  Speaker 9: it right to the nail on the.
• 13:14
  Speaker 8: HEAD there i don't really understand the sixty three to.
• 13:18
  Speaker 8: TWELVE percent i don't think that will.
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: One hundred it's not about. A Whole it's calshi do
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: it the.
• 13:24
  Speaker 4: Right.
• 13:25
  Speaker 2: Way calshi. Uh, so Yeah so vera is the odds,
• 13:28
  Speaker 2: on favorite as he. Should be he's the adds on
• 13:30
  Speaker 2: favorite for the. Entire tournament we're going to wait and
• 13:32
  Speaker 2: see tomorrow Of faa Or or Naldy or barrettini can
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: make this a little bit. More interesting