Mensik goes for the drop volley again but Zverev, despite being 6’6”, moves well and chases it down, finishing off the point with a languid ball into the open court. Both on the board.

Mensik does well to reach a booming first serve and then chase down a drop shot in quick succession, but Zverev stays with him in a sharp net rally before planting away a volley into the open court.

Mensik gets unlucky with a drop shot dropping back onto his side of the net, but fires back with a lovely backhand down the line to put some pressure on at 40-30.

Zverev punts a forehand well wide for deuce.

Mensik fires long and wide for deuce, but draws Zverev to the net with some smart play and hammers down a smash to hold. Danger averted.

Onto the first of today’s semi-finals, with Jakub Mensik to serve first. It’s a grey, overcast day with the threat of rain, but the roof is open for now.

“Allez Jakub, c’est pas fini!” shouts some joker after the Czech nets at the end of the first rally.

Speaking on TNT Sports, Mats Wilander says: “It’s his turn. He’s never played tennis with more pressure on his shoulders. I think Mensik is very dangerous but Zverev is definitely the favourite. He’s playing really well and there’s no reason why he should drop his level.

“When you win a Grand Slam, you play better and better and better and your best matches are towards the end of the tournament. So, I’m expecting him to play great but Jakub Mensik is so dangerous and can take the racquet out of your hand because he’s so complete. But I do think Sascha Zverev is the favourite.”

Eight-time grand slam champion Andre Agassi said there is “no excuse” for Jannik Sinner, the overwhelming favourite at this year’s French Open, to have struggled so much in the heat in his shock second-round exit.

The Italian had enjoyed an imperious run on clay, winning titles in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome in the build-up to Roland-Garros and had been near-universally expected to seal the title in Paris.

But he struggled with cramp when 6-3 6-2 5-1 up against Juan Manuel Cerundolo and said he felt dizzy and nauseous, with his body breaking down as he lost 15 points in a row and the temperature climbed to 32 degrees amid a heatwave.

In other tennis news... Serena Williams has expanded her highly anticipated return to professional tennis, adding a second grass-court tournament to her schedule as speculation mounts regarding a potential Wimbledon appearance.

The 44-year-old will make her comeback next week in London, partnering Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko in the doubles at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club.

It was confirmed on Friday that Williams will also compete in doubles at the Berlin Tennis Open, commencing on 15 June, though her partner for that event is yet to be announced.

The match in some ways mimicked those early clashes between Alcaraz and Sinner: the flashy, much-hyped, pure shotmaker and entertainer against the more brutal, clinical, machine-like opponent. And in this case it was the precise serving of Mensik – coupled with a delicate touch at the net – that prevailed over the more spectacular, but equally more erratic, tennis of his 19-year-old challenger.

Turning our attention to today’s last four, Czech talent Jakub Mensik plays the experienced Alexander Zverev in the first of today’s semi-finals.

It’s 20-year-old Mensik’s first grand slam semi-final and Zverev’s 11th.

The women’s French Open finals will feature the eighth seed and the world No 114, who came through qualifying on a storming run into the final.

Poland’s Maja Chwalinska has won nine matches in a row, including three in Roland-Garros qualifying, to make her maiden grand slam final - and has made history in the process.

She is the first player to go through qualifying to make the French Open final, and only the second to ever make a grand slam showpiece as a qualifier, after Emma Raducanu at the US Open in 2021.