Mensik shines in Bahrain! Will he become the youngest player in the ATP elite 100?

Czech tennis player Jakub Mensik continues his great performance in Manama, Bahrain. He will play here for the final. The native of Prostějov has thus improved his position among his Czech teammates. Where can he climb in the rankings and who will stand in his way?

Mensik at the Challengers

Challenger tournaments were Menšík’s most frequent stop last year. He has won his only triumph so far at his home event in Prague. He didn’t even come close to a similar success at the following events last year. His most frequent result was the quarterfinals. Yet slowly but surely he climbed up the rankings to 150th position.

The native of Prostejov started this year in a great way. Even before his successful performance at the Australian Open, where he played in the second round of the main competition, he shone at the Canberra Challenger. In the capital of Australia, he went through without losing a set to the final, where he lost to the German Koepfer. Now Jakub Mensik confirms his excellent start in Bahrain.

Also in the Bahraini capital Manama, the 18-year-old Czech tennis player started very clearly. He defeated the Georgian Basilashvili and the Bosnian tennis player Fatic without losing a set. Mensik served well and did not lose his serve even once in the opening duels.

Thursday brought the Czech player a duel with the Argentinian Trungelliti. The thirty-four-year-old surprised his opponent in the first round by defeating the top-seeded Slovak Klein, but Mensik entered the match as a clear favourite.

In the first set, both tennis players served well and it was Menšík who got the break in the sixth game. It was the only one in the set and the Czech tennis player won 6:3.

Mensik started the second set with a break and his opponent broke the match at 2: 1. Another match without a loss of his own serve means he is through to the semi-finals of the Challenger.

Another opponent and a big challenge

Menšík will play for the final against the better of the pair Kukushkin – Shelbayh. Jordan’s Shelbayh rewrote his country’s tennis history here last year.

And an interesting challenge is also in front of Menshik. He’s already the third best Czech in the ATP rankings. If he manages to win the Challenger, he will become the youngest tennis player in the elite 100 of the rankings.

Source: ATP, Rafa Nadal Academy