Auckland: Jakub Mensik clinched the Auckland Classic title after defeating Sebastian Baez 6-3 7-6(7) in the final, producing another composed performance to cap an outstanding week at the tournament.
The final match lasted for one hour and 22 minutes but could have gone for much longer had Baez taken one of the three set points he had during the second set tiebreaker.
The 20-year-old Czech saved three consecutive set points from 3/6 in the second-set tie-break before claiming a championship-match triumph at the hard-court ATP 250.
Mensik produced a high-class serving performance to become the youngest Auckland champion since Juan Martin del Potro in 2009. He became the fifth youngest ever winner of this title, and this is his second title, following his triumph in Miami last year.
Mensik got a break in the sixth game in the opening set of the final and never looked like relinquishing that lead.
In the second set Baez was down 15-40 at 5-5, having double-faulted twice. He saved those two breakpoints but gave Mensik a look at another breakthrough two points later, and this time he wasn’t able to get himself out of trouble, putting a low ball into the net, ASB Classic reports.
Mensik’s serve had looked impenetrable before he had the opportunity to serve for the match in the next game. However, this time it let him down, and Baez was able to get the break to send the set into a tiebreaker.
Baez held a 4-2 lead at the change of ends and went on to have three set points, but Mensik saved them all, drilling a return on the last of them as he got the score to 6-6.
Baez missed a volley to give Mensik a match point on the Czech’s serve, but after a long rally the Argentine planted a backhand into the net.
An ace on the next point gave Mensik another set point, and this time Baez went too long with a backhand.
Mensik, who defeated Novak Djokovic to lift his only previous tour-level trophy at the 2025 Miami Open, will on Monday rise one spot to No. 17 in the ATP Rankings as a result of his Auckland title run.
The Czech will now head to Melbourne to prepare for his first-round Australian Open encounter against Pablo Carreno Busta.
(IANS)
