PARIS (AP) — Less than a week ago, Jakub Mensik was pushed away from the court in a wheelchair after collapsing to the clay with cramps.
Now the 20-year-old Czech player is in the French Open semifinals.
The 6-foot-5 Mensik used his attacking game to end the run of Brazil’s Joao Fonseca with a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory in the quarterfinals Tuesday.
It was Mensik’s most convincing performance so far at Roland Garros after struggling physically in the heat wave during the opening week.
After Mensik edged Mariano Navone in a fifth-set tiebreaker in the second round, he fell to the clay after match point and required medical attention on the court after Navone went over to check on him.
Mensik was eventually helped up and limped off the court, then was pushed away in a wheelchair.
Two days later, Mensik still appeared weak when he dropped the opening set 6-0 to Alex de Minaur. But then he won three straight sets.
“After the cramps and super dehydrations, I needed to put as much fluids as I could inside of me,” Mensik said after beating De Minaur. “I came back strong enough to compete again on the highest level and in this these very cruel conditions.”
Mensik also needed five sets to advance in the fourth round against Andrey Rublev.
Then against Fonseca, Mensik won 13 of 15 serve-and-volley points to Fonseca’s one in his only try.
“It was one of my best performances so far,” Mensik said.
The 19-year-old Fonseca 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 round.
For a place in Sunday’s final, Mensik will face second-seeded Alexander Zverev, who eliminated rising Spanish player Rafael Jodar 7-6 (3), 6-1, 6-3.
Mensik has won just two titles in his career and neither of them came on clay. He beat Djokovic in straight sets in the final of the Miami Open last year for his first title. His second title, in Auckland, New Zealand, this year also came on hard courts.
During Mensik’s post-match on-court interview Tuesday, his mom Katerina Mensikova created a heart shape with her fingers as she looked on from the stands — drawing a chuckle from Mensik.
Mensik wasted six match points in the final game before Fonseca eventually held serve. Then he quickly took control of the tiebreaker.
“The last 20-30 minutes of the match it was just really insane,” Mensik said. “I’m happy I managed to stay mentally focused and calm.”
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