Jakub Mensik responds to Andrey Rublev revival to book first Grand Slam quarter-final

[p]The 20-year-old Czech saw off the 11th-seeded Russian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/mensik-j-UFj257G8/rublev-a-AeAn4gP0/?mid=dGWwzpmC"]6-3, 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 2-6, 6-3[/a] on Court Suzanne Lenglen to set up a meeting with either [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fonseca-joao/tv073LUc/"]Joao Fonseca[/a] or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ruud-casper/zN9UpRqp/"]Casper Ruud[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mensik-jakub/UFj257G8/"]Mensik[/a], who won the Miami Open last season, posted his previous best performance at a major in Melbourne earlier this year but surpassed that fourth-round run with his victory at the same stage over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rublev-andrey/AeAn4gP0/"]Rublev[/a] in the French capital.[/p][p][b]"It was super difficult for me. Even if I was 2-0 up, I felt in some moments that I'm actually losing,"[/b] Mensik said.[/p][p][b]"I'm just happy that in the fifth set I came back and took the momentum back on my side and basically finished the match how I finished it."[/b][/p][embed guid="6ab660e7-5443-48ee-8d55-51fcabf035eb" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_70NjopACA&pp=ygUNbWVuc2lrIHJ1Ymxldg%3D%3D" social-type="youtube" /][p]Rublev took an early 3-0 lead in the first set, before Mensik responded by winning six games in a row to claim the opener.[/p][p]Mensik had a chance to serve out the second set at 5-4 but was broken by his 13th-ranked opponent, before clinching the tie-break at the second time of asking with a backhand winner that wrong-footed Rublev.[/p][p]Rublev riposted by breaking Mensik in the very first game of the third set before serving out to force a fourth frame.[/p][p]Both players' serves went somewhat haywire as three consecutive breaks opened the fourth set, until Rublev held and broke again to get an insurmountable 4-1 lead.[/p][image alt="Match stats" id="d37218f6-6ba5-4657-b7af-0620c1c1cb8d" credit-line="Enetpulse" guid="24f408d8-527a-4eba-bdec-94d606e7e61f" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]But Mensik found his range again on serve and forced the crucial break against Rublev in the eighth game of the final set, before firing a huge ace on his first match point to seal victory after three-and-three-quarter hours on court.[/p]