Defeat to teenager Jakub Mensik in Miami final means 37-year-old Serb has only two titles in past 16 months
During a quiet period in the relentless tennis calendar three years ago, the 16-year-old Jakub Mensik received an unexpected proposal. The Czech, who had just reached the boys’ singles final at the Australian Open, was invited by Novak Djokovic, his idol, to train together at the Serb’s academy in Belgrade. The pair quickly established a rapport, with Djokovic offering advice and counsel. For Mensik, this was a pivotal moment in his journey.
That journey completed a full circle on Sunday at the Miami Open as the pair stood across the net from each other again, this time as rivals in the biggest match of the 19-year-old’s career so far, and he closed out a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4) victory to win his first ATP title in one of the top tournaments in the game.
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