In a dramatic final day that stretched over 10 hours, the Czech Davis Cup team claimed a thrilling 3-2 victory over the United States in the second round held in Delray Beach, Florida.
Rising star Jakub Mensik, aged 20, delivered the decisive blow just after midnight on Sunday by defeating Frances Tiafoe 6-1, 6-4.
This victory came on the heels of Jiri Lehecka’s impressive upset against world No. 5 Taylor Fritz, which tied the best-of-five match series at 2-2. Lehecka’s victory was crucial, as he won 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, setting the stage for Mensik’s critical match.
The final day began with a nail-biting doubles match where the U.S. team managed to edge out Mensik and Tomas Machac, winning 7-6(6), 5-7, 6-4. This victory temporarily shifted momentum, giving the U.S. a 2-1 lead in the tie. However, the match was complicated by a two-hour rain and lightning delay that interrupted play mid-way through the second set.
During this two-day event, Mensik played an impressive five hours and 31 minutes of tennis, including three hours and 52 minutes on Saturday alone, which encompassed both his singles and doubles matches. Notably, Mensik was a last-minute substitution for Adam Pavlasek in the doubles rubber and had just come off a singles match against Fritz the night before that finished past 10 PM.
With this victory, Czechia earned a spot in the eight-nation Davis Cup Final 8 scheduled for November in Bologna, Italy. Meanwhile, the United States now shifts focus to the draw for the 2026 Qualifying round, which is set to feature a traditional home-and-away tie in February.
The United States faced significant hurdles leading up to this match, as two originally nominated players, world No. 6 Ben Shelton and world No. 15 Tommy Paul, withdrew due to injuries. Additionally, Fritz, who was the top American player and the 2024 U.S. Open runner-up, struggled with illness throughout the week, limiting his practice. Meanwhile, Tiafoe, who had seen a drop in his ranking to No. 29 after a series of defeats, entered the tie amidst a decline in confidence following a third-round exit at the U.S. Open.
Initially projected to serve as a backup singles player due to his lower ranking and lackluster Davis Cup record, Tiafoe’s losses during this tie have now dropped his Davis Cup record to an unimpressive 1-7. His only victory came against Nicolas Mejia from Colombia in 2021, when Mejia was ranked No. 275 in the world.
On the opening day of the competition, which was marred by a 90-minute rain delay, Lehecka bested Tiafoe 6-3, 6-2, while Fritz managed to secure a win over Mensik 6-4, 6-3.
image source from：worldtennismagazine
