By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Picture credit score: Darrian Traynor/Getty
Corridor of Famer boxer and devoted tennis participant Sugar Ray Leonard famously described his adopted sport as “boxing with out violence.”
Boxing is a blood sport.
Kyrgios: The Journey is Over
Proficient youngsters are turning tennis right into a younger blood sport at this Australian Open.
Nineteen-year-old Jakub Mensik pounded down 62 winners upsetting sixth-seeded Casper Ruud 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to advance to the Australian Open third spherical for the primary time.
Two of the most important upsets at this AO belong to youngsters.
Mensik’s assertive dismissal of former US Open finalist Ruud comes a day after 18-year-old Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca blazed previous ninth-seeded Andrey Rublev 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-6(5) in his main main-draw debut. Fonseca fired 51 winners in that match.
Already one of many Tour’s largest hitters, Mensik improved his report vs. High 10 opponents to 5-4 reaching a Grand Slam third spherical for the third time.
Nineteen-year-old American Learner Tien bids to grow to be the third teenager to succeed in the third spherical this week when he performs fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev on Margaret Courtroom Area on Thursday.
The outcomes present this AO could properly belong to the brand new blood, Mensik stated.
“All of the younger gamers that are enjoying right here, even which aren’t right here, they making an attempt the most effective to succeed in the identical stage,” Mensik instructed the media in Melbourne. “For instance, like Jannik and Carlos, they had been few years in the past, two years in the past nonetheless youngsters. Clearly, you already know, our not alternative, however we will method the identical and go by their steps and attempt to attain the identical stage, compete towards them.
“At the very least I’ve it like that. I can actually be capable of attempt to attain the identical stage, to maintain enhancing. It is nice that there’s a new blood all the time.
“We are able to see that tennis is shifting on. We are able to see totally different or new names on the tournaments. For the followers, for the tennis, for all the things, it is actually nice. That is it. New blood is coming.”
Why now?
World No. 48 Mensik stated the actual fact the kids all performed the Subsequent Gen ATP Finals final December gave them extra match preparation and match toughness forward of Melbourne.
Fonseca defeated Mensik to win the Blue Group in Jeddah earlier than beating Tien within the Subsequent Gen ATP Finals title match. American Alex Michelsen additionally performed the Subsequent Gen ATP Finals and adopted it up knocking off Eleventh-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas in his AO opener.
“The timing of the Subsequent Gen Finals, it was earlier than the Christmas. Everybody was nonetheless within the pre-season,” Mensik stated. “We had been already enjoying, had couple matches earlier than the season began. I imply, that assist us lots, I suppose.
“I imply, as a result of all of us play actually nice matches. Additionally on the preparation tournaments, we had been doing rather well. That is a very powerful factor to start with of the season to have the match depend and to return on the Grand Slam with you already performed couple matches earlier than.”
The 6’4” Mensik will attempt to proceed his roll dealing with Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for a visit to his first Grand Slam fourth spherical.
