PARIS, June 2 (Reuters) - Jakub Mensik battled past Brazilian breakout star Joao Fonseca with a 6-4 6-3 7-6(3) win to make the semi-finals of the French Open on Tuesday and become the youngest Czech man to reach that stage at a Grand Slam.
While Fonseca fell, fellow teenager Mirra Andreeva returned to the semi-finals with a 6-0 6-3 win over practice partner Sorana Cirstea to keep her superb Roland Garros run going.
Days after collapsing on the red dirt of Paris following a second-round victory in sweltering conditions, the 20-year-old Mensik shone on a cool evening following a spell of rain to book a last-four clash with title favourite Alexander Zverev.
"The last 20-30 minutes of the match, it was just a really insane level from both of us and had a lot of key moments," Mensik said after surpassing compatriot Ivan Lendl, who reached the 1981 Paris semi-finals at the age of 21.
"Even after the matchpoints that I didn't manage to take when I was 6-5 up, I'm happy that I stayed mentally focused and calm and managed to level up my game in the tiebreak and be the one who managed to take it."
After four straight holds of serve to kick off the contest under the Court Philippe Chatrier roof, the momentum swung when Mensik edged ahead with a break, and the Czech stayed firm from there to win the opening set.
The ice-cool Mensik tightened his grip on the contest when the second set unfolded in similar fashion, as the 19-year-old Fonseca's serve let him down at a crucial moment and he then struggled to find a way past the wall in front of him.
The youngest Roland Garros men's quarter-final since a 20-year-old Rafa Nadal defeated a teenage Novak Djokovic in 2006 looked in danger of becoming a rout as Mensik bagged the set when his opponent pushed a shot wide.
With his adoring Brazilian fans stunned and the frustration rising, Fonseca came out firing in the third set, but was broken when serving for it at 5-4. Mensik drew level before wasting six match points and eventually prevailing via a tiebreak.
"I was just in the zone ... I was focusing on my game, on my performance, and just on myself," added Mensik, who was mentored by Djokovic in the past.
"Even when the crowd erupted, I couldn't hear anything ... I'm happy that even with long games and when the momentum was going to his side, I still managed to level up my game."
DESTINY'S CHILD
Andreeva said she believed destiny was guiding her progress this year, 12 months after a tearful implosion when she was left frustrated by the home crowd during her quarter-final defeat to Frenchwoman Lois Boisson.
"I believe that everything happens for a reason, and if I wasn't able to reach the semi-finals of another Grand Slam, then I guess that's what should have happened," Andreeva said.
"I'm happy that I'm back in the semi-finals again. I think I'm just going to try to keep using the same mindset of giving my best, giving my 100% no matter what happens.
"I feel like it's just easier for me to play when I have this mindset on."
Now among the leading contenders for a maiden Grand Slam title with defending champion Coco Gauff and four-times winner Iga Swiatek out, the Russian plays Marta Kostyuk after she won an all-Ukrainian clash with Elina Svitolina 6-3 2-6 6-2.
POLITICAL BACKDROP
The semi-final, however, will unfold against a backdrop that stretches beyond tennis with Kostyuk sharply criticising Russian players and their silence over the war in Ukraine as she surged into a maiden Grand Slam semi-final this week.
Hours after another night of Russian strikes on Ukraine's capital Kyiv, Kostyuk said she no longer accepted the argument that Russian athletes could remain silent because of possible repercussions at home.
"It's not frustrating anymore. They're all grown-ups. They know what they're talking about. They know what's going on. They have phones. They have Instagram. They have news and are clearly aware of what's going on," Kostyuk said.
"If this is something that they want to avoid talking about, they have to live with this, not me."
Alexander Zverev continued his bid for a maiden Grand Slam title, as he recovered from a slow start to beat Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar 7-6(3) 6-1 6-3 and reach the semi-finals.
"It shows that we have a great group of young players that are playing fantastic tennis," Zverev said, shortly before the match between Fonseca and Mensik.
"For me, it doesn't matter. I focus on the next match."
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar and Julien Pretot in Paris; Editing by Pritha Sarkar and Toby Davis)
