Strong serving sends Mensik into second round; Hurkacz tops Tien

No. 8 seed Jakub Mensik got through Thursday’s first-round test at the China Open. Waiting for him on the other side is a familiar face.

Mensik defeated Alexander Bublik 6-4, 7-6 (5) in the nightcap on the Diamond Court, advancing to face Francisco Cerundolo in the second round. Cerundolo fought off Botic van de Zandschulp in his first-round match, coming back from a set down. Cerundolo beat Mensik in Beijing two years ago and leads the head-to-head 2-0.

“We are great friends off the court, it’s going to be an exciting one,” Mensik said. “I’m really looking forward to this match.”

Bublik provided an accurate representation of how the match would go, hitting an ace on the first point. Both players relied on their first serves to get a bulk of free points. Mensik won 82 percent of his first serve points, slightly besting Bublik’s 73 percent. 

Mensik hit three successful dropshots in the third game of the first set to secure an early break. Mensik’s serve was nearly untouchable in the first set, making 83 percent of his first serves and winning 17 of 19 of those points on his way to a first set victory. 

Bublik shared some thoughts about facing this kind of serving performance with the chair umpire during a changeover.

“It’s good that I don’t play the casino, I would be the unluckiest guy there,” Bublik joked. “Every opponent that I play serves 85 percent, and he’s basically (Novak) Djokovic.”

The second set mirrored the first, with a break of serve by Mensik in the third game, but Bublik broke the cycle shortly after. The Kazakhstani broke back the next game with impressive play from the baseline. 

Bublik faced more pressure the next game, going down 40-0, but some aggressive serves and forehands got him out of trouble. The pair stayed even from there, both dominating their service games on the way to a second set tiebreak. 

Mensik won the tiebreak on a 19-shot rally that prefaced Bublik breaking his racket in frustration at the match’s conclusion. The loss made it Bublik’s third straight first round exit at the China Open. 

Both Bublik and Mensik had a short turnaround after playing the Laver Cup last weekend. 

“Tough schedule for us to deal with coming from Laver Cup,” Mensik said. “I’m happy that I was able to get my body ready physically and mentally.”

The 21-year-old Czech star is currently ranked No. 14 in the world and reached a career-high No. 12 earlier this year.

“Every tournament I’m getting better,” Mensik said. “I’m getting used to new challenges.”

As Mensik traded serving blows with Bublik, Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz added another upset to the first round. Just two days earlier, Hurkacz was in Chengdu battling it for the tournament title. On Thursday night, some 1,800 kilometers north, another battle awaited in Beijing.

In his China Open debut, Hurkacz upset No. 7 Tien in 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, in the first round of the ATP 500 tournament. Hurkacz advanced to take on France’s Arthur Gea in the Round of 16.

Tien, last year’s China Open runner-up, was also coming off a busy schedule, falling to Alexander Zverev in the group stages of the Laver Cup four days ago. Hurkacz broke Tien’s serve to take a 5-4 lead in the decisive set and then started the clinching game with his 12th and final ace.

Hurkacz took an early lead in the first set, claiming three games in a row. He put away three consecutive aces to widen the lead to 4-1. But Tien didn’t stop fighting. The leftie clawed his way back from a notable deficit to win the

first set, capitalizing on 17 unforced errors by Hurkacz.

The second set saw traded games, with the first break by Hurkacz for a 4-2 lead. Hurkacz had five aces in the second set.

By Ellis von Fintel and Isabel Kirkwood