Written by Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Photo credit: Darrian Traynor/Getty
Hall of Famer boxer and dedicated tennis player Sugar Ray Leonard he famously described his adopted sport as “non-violent boxing.”
Boxing is a blood sport.
Kyrgios: The Journey is Over
Talented youngsters are turning tennis into a young blood sport at the Australian Open.
Nineteen years Jakub Mensik knocked down 62 winners and upset the sixth-place finishers Casper Ruud 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to advance to the third round of the Australian Open for the first time.
Two of the biggest upsets in this AO are for teenagers.
Mensik’s ouster of former US Open finalist Ruud comes after a sensational day for the 18-year-old Brazilian. João Fonseca stormed past ninth-seeded Andrey Rublev 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-6(5) in his first major. Fonseca fired 51 winners in that game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_ELESl9Cg4
Already one of the Tour’s top hitters, Mensik improved his record against top 10 opponents to 5-4 and reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the third time.
A nineteen-year-old American Student Tien He is bidding to become the third youngster to reach the third division this week when he plays in fifth place Daniel Medvedev at the Margaret Court Arena on Thursday.
The results show that this AO may be of new blood, Mensik said.
“All the young players who play here, even those who are not here, are trying their best to reach the same level,” Mensik told reporters in Melbourne. “For example, like Jannik and Carlos, they were young a few years ago, two years ago. Obviously, you know, it’s not our chance, but we can approach the same and walk in their footsteps and try to reach the same level, compete with them.
“At least I have it like that. I can definitely try to reach the same level, so I can keep improving. It’s good that there is always new blood.
“We see that tennis is moving forward. We can see different or new words in competitions. For fans, tennis, everything, it’s great. That’s all. New blood is coming.”
Why now?
World No. 48 Mensik said the fact that all the youngsters played in the Next Gen ATP Finals last December gave them match preparation and competition intensity before Melbourne.
Fonseca beat Mensik to win the Blue Group in Jeddah before beating Tien in the Next Gen ATP Finals title match. Alex Michelsen is an American he also played in the Next Gen ATP Finals and followed up with a knock down 11th-seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in his AO opener.
“The time of the Next Gen Finals, it was before Christmas. Everyone was in the pre-season,” said Mensik. “We were already playing, we had a few games before the season started. I mean, that helps us a lot, I think.
“I mean, because we all play great games. Even in the preparatory competitions, we were doing really well. That’s the most important thing at the beginning of the season to have a number of matches and to enter the Grand Slam you have played a few matches before.”
6’4” Mensik will try to continue his game against Spain Alejandro Davidovich Fokina with a trip to the first round of his fourth Grand Slam.
