Mensik's serve neutralizes a great Carreño and the Czech Republic strikes first

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Spain does not start the Copa Davis finals on a good note. Despite the determination and courage that Pablo Carreño displayed on the court, Jakub Mensik and his flawless serve guided the Czech Republic to claim the first point of the quarterfinal tie with a score of 7-5, 6-4. Now it is Jaume Munar's turn against Jiri Lehecka, and the Mallorcan must win to take the tie to the decisive doubles match to prevent Spain from exiting at this early stage in Bologna.

It was time to show the strength of the Spanish team after the last-minute absence of Carlos Alcaraz. With the same team, except for Marcel Granollers, who worked miracles against Denmark last September, and under the captaincy of David Ferrer, Spain is aiming for its sixth Copa Davis. To achieve this, they must perform first against the Czech Republic.

To kick off the quarterfinal tie, Ferrer entrusted the task to Pablo Carreño while Tomas Berdych chose Jakub Mensik, setting the stage for a duel between the experience of the Spaniard and the youth of the Czech, who won this year's Miami Open.

An extraordinary serve from Jakub Mensik made things very difficult for a battling Pablo Carreño until the end

Carreño's recipe for victory involved trying to prolong the exchanges, while Mensik relied heavily on his first serve. In fact, he started the match with five consecutive aces. Initially, the Spanish player seemed more composed while the Czech showed signs of nerves.

The 20-year-old appeared uncomfortable in an unfamiliar setting, and the 34-year-old Asturian gradually gained ground until breaking in the seventh game. The veteran Spaniard was executing his plan perfectly, but just as he was about to secure a complete set, Mensik fought back.

Aware that he needed to react, Mensik quickly regained his composure and went on the offensive, recovering the break in the next game. He then held his serve to lead 5-4, but Carreño did not falter, tying the score at 5-5.

However, Mensik's confidence allowed him to apply pressure on Carreño's second serve, earning himself a set point which the Spaniard managed to save well. On his third opportunity, the young player capitalized, taking the first set (7-5) where the Spaniard was on the ropes.

Despite losing the first set, Carreño had little to regret, perhaps apart from failing to consolidate that break in the seventh game. Thus, the approach for the second set had to remain the same: rally and rally some more.

The issue was that Mensik's first serve was a major headache (he hit 10 aces in the first set), and whenever there was parity in games with his serve, he cleared the path with direct aces. Meanwhile, Carreño struggled with his first serves, and the Czech capitalized on his second serve returns in the same set.

Nevertheless, the Spaniard continued battling relentlessly, true to his DNA. If Mensik wished to defeat him, he had to keep working hard. Carreño saved a crucial game on his serve, but Mensik swiftly closed his own.

Nevertheless, Carreño kept resisting despite Mensik's powerful serves. As the score reached 4-4 and tension heightened in Bologna, the Czech won a close game and took a lead of 5-4. At that point, Mensik decided not to let the match slip away, finishing off Carreño to claim victory with a score of 7-5, 6-4.

Spain is on the brink of elimination, which will be sealed if Jaume Munar does not defeat Jiri Lehecka. There's nothing to blame Pablo Carreño for; he fought until the end. Spain hangs by a thread in these Copa Davis finals. Will there be a miracle as in Marbella?

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El saque de Mensik neutraliza a un gran Carreño y República Checa golpea primero