Kishore Jakub Mennsic of Czech harassed Novak Djokovic 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/4) to win the Miami Open at the Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, deprived Serb to his 100th career title.
The 19 -year -old, who finished 54th in the world, claimed his first title on the ATP tour with the outstanding performance of powerful tennis.
Due to heavy rains, the final was delayed by about six hours and when the players emerged were clear that Djokovic had an eye infection. He used eye-drop during a change in the first set.
Mennsic began to break up the first series game of Djokovic to go up 2–0 and was dominating a long, large-serving check, until 4-2 Djokovic broke back when Mennsic found the net.
The set has been on service since then, but in the powerful service of the tie-break mentor, with two aces, kept it in charge from the beginning. He revealed a 5–0 lead and although 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic sealed the set with an overhead volley to the young man.
This was the first set to lose Djokovic throughout the tournament. He lost his leg twice and finished on his back, and changed his shoes between the sets.
Mennsic defeated Djokovic in the first set of its only other meeting in Shanghai before losing in three sets.
This time, however, the speed appeared with him.
The second set was a nip and tuck affair, however, neither was able to break the player. Once again the power of Mennsic proved to be decisive in the tie-break and when Djokovic won to win him on a long return, he fell on his back in the festival.
“I don’t know what to say to be honest. It seems incredible, obviously,” Mennsic said in his on-court interview.
“It was probably the biggest day of my life and I did super, which I really happy (about), to show the performance and keep the veins outside the court before the match.
“I just feel super happy and I think emotions will come later,” he said.
Mennsic has not created any secret to the fact that he grew up with Djokovic with his idol and after receiving the trophy, he said that he started his career in the hope of simulating Serb.
He said, “There is no difficult task for a tennis player to defeat you in the final of a tournament,” he said.
“I am sure this was the first of many people,” Mennsic said, before disclosing that he was close to the tournament before his first match, physiotherapy produced the desired results before the last minute due to a knee injury.
Djokovic, who refused to discuss the problem with his eye after the match, paid tribute to the performance of the check.
“This is Jakub’s moment, a moment of his team, a moment of his family. Congratulations, incredible tournament. It hurts me to accept, but you were better. In a clutch moment, you gave the stuff,” he said.
“Incredible service and just an unprecedented effort to be mentally difficult to be difficult in a difficult moment. For young players like you, this is a great feature. Something that I am sure you will use many times a year,” Djokovic said.
The match between 37-year-old Djokovic and Mennsic was the largest age difference in Masters 1000 finals and the biggest age difference of any tour-level final since 1976.
