Alex de Minaur's French Open campaign ended in the third round after he squandered a one-set lead to lose 0-6 6-2 6-2 6-3 against Czech teenager Jakub Mensik. The Australian had looked in complete control after an astonishing opening set, only for his opponent to produce a remarkable turnaround on Court Simonne Mathieu.
De Minaur raced through the first set in just 19 minutes, breaking early and winning 16 consecutive points as Mensik made 11 unforced errors in a catastrophic start. The 19-year-old, who had needed a wheelchair after collapsing on court following his four-hour 41-minute second-round victory over Mariano Navone, seemed to be struggling physically in the oppressive heat.
But Mensik emerged a different player after the opening set, breaking early in the second and then reeling off seven games in a row across the second and third sets. He began to overpower de Minaur with superior serving and groundstrokes, while the Australian's error count mounted steadily.
De Minaur, clearly frustrated by his inability to stem the tide, was handed a code violation after smashing his racket into the clay late in the fourth set. Mensik sealed the win in two hours and 25 minutes, leaving the world No 11 to reflect on a missed opportunity following Jannik Sinner's shock exit earlier in the tournament.
Daria Kasatkina is now the only Australian remaining in the singles draws, but she faces a daunting task against world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
