Paris, June 5 (IANS) Alexander Zverev is now one step away from his first Grand Slam title after he defeated rising Czech star Jakub Mensik in the French Open final, winning in four sets on Friday. The score was 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, and the match lasted three hours and one minute on Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris.

With this win, Zverev secured his spot in his second French Open final and the fourth major final of his career.

After coming close to winning the trophy in Paris last year, Zverev gets another chance to end his wait for Grand Slam success in Sunday’s championship match. “He started playing amazingly in the third set,” Zverev said of Mensik after his victory. “He really stepped up to another level. But this is a Grand Slam; it’s best-of-five set matches. Opponents are going to play better. You have to deal with it. I did, and I hope to play another great match on Sunday.”

With early exits for top players like Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, Zverev has taken full advantage of his opportunity. He has lost only two sets in the tournament and has now become just the fifth active men’s player to reach multiple Roland Garros finals.

At 29 years old, Zverev has an impressive record in major tournaments. He finished as the runner-up at the US Open in 2020, lost the Australian Open final last year, and famously came one set away from winning the French Open title in 2024. Sunday’s final against either Flavio Cobolli or Matteo Arnaldi offers him another chance to secure the one major title missing from his résumé.

This victory also puts Zverev on the same level as Stan Wawrinka, matching his tally of four Grand Slam finals, the fifth-highest among active men’s players.

Mensik entered the semi-final with strong momentum and hopes of being the youngest Roland Garros finalist since Rafael Nadal in 2006. However, he struggled to impose his attacking style against Zverev’s consistency and tactical discipline.

The match ignited in the first set when Mensik earned the first break points with a stunning sliding backhand winner. Zverev, showing his experience, saved all three break points. He then broke serve at 5-5 to take the opening set.

The second set tilted firmly in Zverev’s favour. Mensik tried to play more aggressively, but Zverev consistently countered with precise passing shots and superior control from the baseline. This dominant performance gave him a two-set lead and put him on the brink of the final.

Despite this, Mensik did not back down. After a medical timeout early in the third set, he returned with renewed energy. His mix of drop shots and variation disrupted Zverev’s rhythm, leading to him winning the third set and briefly sparking hopes for a comeback.

However, Zverev quickly squashed those hopes. He regrouped well at the start of the fourth set, taking a 3-0 lead and never allowing Mensik back into the match. His experience and calmness were crucial as he closed out the victory, improving his head-to-head record against Mensik to 2-0 after also defeating him in Madrid earlier this year.

Even with the loss, Mensik’s impressive run in Paris will boost him 11 spots to No. 16 in the ATP Live Rankings. This highlights his status as one of the sport’s brightest young talents.

Zverev recognised the challenge Mensik presented throughout the tournament. “It’s amazing the way he played these past two weeks,” he said. “I knew it was going to be the toughest challenge I had so far. I managed. I won. So I’m happy.”

–IANS

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