Overview
- Alexander Zverev outlasted Jakub Mensik 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-3 in a match that started at 11:03 p.m. and ended with an ace at 1:21–1:22 a.m. after 2 hours and 18 minutes.
- He said on court he still felt a bit physically affected, a concern he first raised in the prior round after beating Terence Atmane in straight sets.
- Zverev will face Italy’s Flavio Cobolli next, a quarterfinal rematch that follows Cobolli’s recent win over him in Munich, though Zverev won their two earlier meetings.
- A final with world No. 1 Jannik Sinner is the only point they could meet, with Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic out of the event due to withdrawals.
- Madrid’s altitude can boost big servers like Mensik and, paired with late-night scheduling, adds strain that Zverev has managed well at a venue where he won titles in 2018 and 2021.