Jakub Mensik claims upset win in Doha

Field Level Media|published: 02/20/2024, 1:05pm EST

Sep 1, 2023; Flushing, NY, USA; Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic hits to Taylor Fritz of the United States on day five of the 2023 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. credits: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports

Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic and Christopher O'Connell of Australia each recorded an upset victory on Tuesday in the first round of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha.

The 18-year-old Mensik won 70 percent of his first serves to notch a 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory over fifth-seeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain in 93 minutes. O'Connell, in turn, posted a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over sixth-seeded Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany to set up a second-round match versus Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori, who outlasted Italian Giulio Zeppieri, 7-6 (2), 7-5.

Also on Tuesday, Frenchmen Hugo Grenier and Richard Gasquet each won their respective first-round matches while countryman Alexandre Muller was not as fortunate. Grenier seized a 7-6 (5), 7-5 win over Germany's Maximilian Marterer, and Gasquet secured a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Kazakhstan's Alexander Shevchenko.

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray of Great Britain snapped a six-match skid with a 6-1, 7-6 (5) win over Muller, however. Murray will square off versus Mensik in the second round.

—Field Level Media