Andy Murray v Jakub Mensik LIVE: Qatar Open tennis result and reaction as Murray loses marathon match
The 36-year-old Brit went down in a three-set thriller to the big-serving, 18-year-old Czech star
Andy Murray suffered the narrowest of defeats in a marathon match in the last 16 of the Qatar Open as he went down 7-6 (6), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4) to Jakub Mensik.
It was the longest match in tournament history at three hours and 23 minutes, with all three sets going to tiebreaks. Murray was on the brink of a heavier defeat when trailing 5-2 and a double break down in the final set but roared back to win four games on the spin and somehow force a tiebreak.
However, the 36-year-old Brit lost that decider 7-4 to the 18-year-old, big-serving Czech star who reaches an ATP Tour quarter-final for the very first time.
Murray had finally ended his six-match losing streak that stretched back to October of last year when he battled past Alexandre Muller 6-1, 7-6 (5) in the first round on Tuesday and was defiant last week in quelling retirement talk abut rising star Mensik held his nerve to record an impressive win.
Relive all the action from the Qatar Open below:
Cameron Norrie cruises into second round of Rio Open
Cameron Norrie hit the ground running at the Rio Open, defeating Bolivian player Hugo Dellien 6-3 6-2.
The world number 23 saved the only break point he faced as he breezed into the second round in one hour and 21 minutes.
In his on-court interview after the match, Norrie said he was happy with how he bounced back after a first-round exit in Argentina last week.
Cameron Norrie cruises into second round of Rio Open
He will face Tomas Barrios Vera of Chile in the next round.
Who is Jakub Mensik?
So, what do we know about Andy Murray’s opponent today – Jakub Mensik?
Mensik is just 18 years old but the big-serving Czech overcame fifth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-6, 6-4 in the first round yesterday, which is no mean feat.
He is currently ranked 116 in the world – 66 places below Murray – but is on the rise at a career-high ranking and, in his post-match interview following the triumph over Muller, Murray admitted he was impressed with what he saw from Mensik during the win against Davidovich Fokina.
As a 17-year-old, Mensik qualified for the US Open and then became the youngest player since Borna Coric in 2014 to win a main draw match at Flushing Meadows when he beat Gregoire Berrere in the first round. In fact, he made it all the way to round three before losing to Taylor Fritz.
Roger Federer documentary to show end of tennis great’s career
Roger Federer’s final moments of his tennis career will be shown in a documentary.
The 20-time grand slam singles champion and eight-time Wimbledon winner retired in 2022 after a Laver Cup appearance in London.
British filmmaker Asif Kapadia will direct the Amazon Prime Video feature looking at the final 12 days of Federer’s professional career.
It “captures Federer at his most vulnerable and candid self, as he says goodbye to a game and the fans that shaped his life for the last two decades”, by using home video that was never intended for public viewing.
Roger Federer documentary to show end of tennis great’s career
Cameras followed the 20-time grand slam singles champion for the last 12 days before he retired from the sport.
Carlos Alcaraz faces injury worry after retiring at Rio Open
World No 2 Carlos Alcaraz is to have tests on his ankle after sustaining an injury that forced him to retire from his Rio Open first-round match against Thiago Monteiro.
Alcaraz needed medical attention after twisting his right ankle on the second point of the contest but the 20-year-old returned to the court a little later with heavy strapping.
He played through the pain and managed to break Brazilian Monteiro’s serve but retired after being broken in the next game as the match ended with the score at 1-1.
“Tomorrow I’ll have a test for my ankle and let’s see if it’s something serious or not,” Alcaraz told reporters.
Carlos Alcaraz faces injury worry after retiring at Rio Open
Alcaraz appeared to be in considerable pain due to his ankle as he pulled out of the first-round match against Thiago Monteiro
Andy Murray confident of brighter times ahead after finally snapping losing streak
Andy Murray snapped a six-match losing streak as he beat Alexandre Muller 6-1, 7-6 (5) in the first round of the Qatar Open.
The 36-year-old held his nerve in a tight second-set tiebreak to secure his first win since October 2023 and renew hopes of a late-career swansong.
Victory over the world No 75 seemed imperative if Murray was to continue to quell retirement talk and progress in a tournament in which he reached the final last year.
Andy Murray confident of brighter times ahead after finally snapping losing streak
Murray beat Alexandre Muller to kickstart his Qatar Open campaign and record a first win since October
How can I watch Murray v Mensik?
Sky Sports is the new broadcasting partner in the United Kingdom for both the ATP and WTA and will be showing coverage of the Qatar Open on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Tennis. Subscribers can stream via Sky Go.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
When is Andy Murray vs Jakub Mensik?
Andy Murray vs Jakub Mensik is scheduled as the second match on centre court on Wednesday 21 February at the Qatar Open in Doha. It will start when Fabian Marozsan vs Karen Khachanov has concluded and is expected to get underway at around 1pm GMT.
Marozsan v Khachanov is currently in the first set with the Hungarian underdog surprisingly an early break up against second seed Khachanov at 3-1.
The winner of Murray vs Mensik will face a quarter-final against the winner of top seed Andrey Rublev vs Richard Gasquet, which takes place directly after the Brit’s match on centre court.
Everything you need to know about Andy Murray v Jakub Mensik
Andy Murray will hope to build on his first win of 2024 as he faces Jakub Mensik in the last 16 of the Qatar Open this afternoon.
Murray finally ended his six-match losing streak that stretched back to October of last year when he battled past Alexandre Muller 6-1, 7-6 (5) in the first round on Tuesday and his roar of delight at getting over the finish line showed how much it still means to him.
The 36-year-old was defiant last week in quelling retirement talk and is hopeful that the Qatar Open, where he reached the final of last year, continues to be a happy hunting ground now he has ended his drought.
Here’s everything you need to know about the match:
What time is Andy Murray v Jakub Mensik? How to watch Qatar Open
Everything you need to know ahead of the Qatar Open last 16 match
Andy Murray v Jakub Mensik
Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Andy Murray v Jakub Mensik at the Qatar Open.
Murray will try to build on his first win since October, which came yesterday, by advancing to the quarter-finals. Stick with us for full live coverage.
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