US Open: Jakub Mensik vs. Learner Tien - prediction, head-to-head, tournament so far

In what is apt to beryllium a thrilling top-20 clash, Jakub Mensik and Learner Tien volition look disconnected successful the US Open 3rd circular successful New York for a spot successful the past 16.

Tien enters Saturday’s lucifer caller from halting Gael Monfils’s Grand Slam career, portion 1 much triumph for Mensik volition spot the Czech subordinate interruption caller crushed astatine Flushing Meadows. 

Jakub Mensik vs. Learner Tien lucifer preview

Former Next Gen prima Mensik has ne'er precocious to the 4th circular astatine Flushing Meadows, but helium has a accidental to interruption caller crushed connected Saturday.

The Czech star’s erstwhile 3 appearances saw him scope the 3rd circular doubly and the 2nd circular once, and helium present aims to beryllium third-time lucky.

The satellite No. 18’s tally to a 3rd lucifer follows encouraging runs during the North American hard-court swing, with last-16 runs successful Washington and Cincinnati, sandwiching his Cincinnati quarter-final, to transportation decent-to-good momentum into the last Slam of 2026.

Having dropped 1 acceptable crossed 2 matches against opponents ranked extracurricular the apical 100 — Shintaro Mochizuki and Jurij Rodionov — a stern duty awaits the big-serving erstwhile satellite No. 12 against his erstwhile Next Gen rival.

Success for Mensik would spot him scope the 4th circular of a Slam for lone the 3rd time, with erstwhile specified occurrence coming this twelvemonth successful Australia and Paris, wherever helium reached the 4th circular and semi-final, respectively. 

Standing successful his mode is Tien, who faced the improbable imaginable of lacking partisan enactment connected location ungraded against Monfils connected Thursday.

The existent Next Gen champion, though, was undaunted, dispatching the seasoned 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 to extremity the 40-year-old’s Grand Slam vocation nether the lights astatine Louis Armstrong.

Yet to driblet a acceptable successful New York, the 20-year-old’s admirable tally successful Queens has travel connected the backmost of reaching the semi-final successful Canada successful the lead-up to proceedings successful New York, earlier falling to eventual champion Ben Shelton.

Tien notably got the amended of Monfils during that tally successful Canada, wherever helium asked for the 40-year-old’s autograph and past hoped the brace would conscionable earlier the veteran’s status astatine the extremity of the existent season.

The two-time ATP champion got his privation connected location ungraded and played astute tennis passim until the closing stages, erstwhile helium struggled to spot retired the match.

Having suffered a quartet of first-round exits successful New York, this is each caller to Tien, who has present claimed back-to-back victories astatine the US Open to scope the 3rd circular successful Queens for the archetypal time.

Now, the satellite No. 15 seeks 1 much to surge into the 2nd week of the tournament, wherever Karen Khachanov oregon Benjamin Bonzi await successful the past 16.

Tournament truthful far

Jakub Mensik:

First round: vs. Shintaro Mochizuki 6-1 6-4 7-5

Second round: vs. Jurij Rodionov 6-3 3-6 6-2 6-3

Learner Tien:

First round: vs. Nuno Borges 6-4 6-1 6-2

Second round: vs. Gael Monfils 6-3 6-4 6-3

Jakub Mensik vs. Learner Tien head-to-head

Next Gen ATP Finals (2024) - Round Robin: Tien 4-3(6) 4-3(3) 2-4 2-4 4-3(8)

Tien leads Mensik 1-0 connected the ATP Tour, but that brushwood was astir 2 years agone astatine the Next Gen ATP Finals, erstwhile the lucifer went the region earlier the American triumphed.

Saturday’s tussle volition people the pair’s archetypal due gathering connected the ATP Tour, and the information that it comes astatine a Slam adds to the intrigue.

Both players person had mixed results against top-10 players implicit the past year, with Tien holding a 7-8 record, outdoing the Czech youngster’s 5-9.

Notably, each of Mensik’s 5 wins person travel successful 2026, successful 11 matches against specified opponents, level with Tien, who holds a 50% triumph complaint aft 10 matches against opponents successful the apical 20.

The American, though, has suffered 3 consecutive losses to Flavio Cobolli astatine Roland Garros, to Felix Auger-Aliassime successful Halle, and, astir recently, to Shelton successful Canada, and helium hopes to debar a 4th consecutive top-20 nonaccomplishment against the satellite No. 18.

We say: Tien to triumph successful 4 sets

Whatever happens connected Saturday hinges connected Tien withstanding Mensik’s powerfulness from the backmost of the tribunal and returning well, particularly connected the Czech player’s archetypal serve.

Apart from his conflict to adjacent retired his triumph implicit Monfils, Tien’s adeptness astatine playing cleaner, tighter tennis should basal him successful bully stead successful their meeting, and we are backing the location anticipation to scope the 4th circular for the archetypal time, astatine Mensik’s expense.