Jakub Mensik edged past Pablo Carreno Busta 6-2 4-6 7-5 after 2 hours and 12 minutes to advance to the second round at the ASB Classic in Auckland.
Mensik became the youngest player to win a match in Auckland since Denis Shapovalov in 2018. The Czech player set up a tough match against last year’s Basel Swiss Indoors finalist Ben Shelton.
Mensik broke twice in the fourth and eighth games to win the first set 6-2. Carreno Busta earned his first break in the ninth game to win the second set 6-4 forcing the match to the decider. Carreno Busta saved two break points in the sixth game. The third set went on serve until the 12th game when Mensik sealed the win with a decisive break.
“It is a great felling to win. It was a difficult match from the start. I just arrived from Brisbane and did not have much time to adapt but I am pleased with my performance. My opponent played really well. It is tough to beat him from the baseline”, said Mensik. Gael Monfils came back from one set down to beat Pedro Martinez 1-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-3. Monfils, who reached the semifinals in Auckland in 2013, became the oldest player to win a match since 42-year-old Torben Ulrich in 1971. The Frenchman set up a match against Jan-Lennard Struff, who beat Buyunchaokete 6-3 6-4.
Gael Monfils came back from one set down to beat Pedro Martinez 1-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-3. Monfils, who reached the semifinals in Auckland in 2013, became the oldest player to win a match since 42-year-old Torben Ulrich in 1971. The Frenchman set up a match against Jan-Lennard Struff, who beat Buyunchaokete 6-3 6-4.
Lorenzo Sonego battled past Canadian wild card Gabriel Diallo 7-6 (7-5) 2-6 7-6 (9-7) after three hours and one minute. Both players went on serve until the 12th game when Sonego earned a set point, but Diallo saved it. Sonego earned an early mini-break to win the tie-break 7-5. Diallo broke twice in the second and eighth game to win the second set 6-2. The Canadian player earned a break to take a 4-2 lead. Sonego broke back when Diallo was serving for the match. Sonego saved a match point before winning the tie-break 9-7.
Luca Nardi reached the next round when sixth seed Flavio Cobolli was forced to withdraw from the match at 6-2 1-1.
