Mensik rallies past Bernet in Basel thriller
Under the electric atmosphere of a home debut, seventh seed Jakub Mensik absorbed a second-set scare and channeled his experience to edge out 18-year-old Henry Bernet, securing a hard-fought entry into the Swiss Indoors Basel second round.
On a buzzing Monday night at the Swiss Indoors Basel, seventh seed Jakub Mensik navigated a rollercoaster opener against wild card Henry Bernet, the 18-year-old Basel native marking his ATP Tour debut with fearless aggression. The Czech, ranked No. 19 in the PIF ATP Rankings, dropped a match point in the second-set tiebreak before storming back to win 7-6(1), 6-7(7), 6-3, just 35 minutes later. This gritty victory highlighted Mensik’s indoor hard-court poise, silencing a partisan crowd while advancing at the ATP 500 event.
Bernet‘s aggression echoes Federer legacy
Bernet, fresh off his Australian Open boys’ title this year, channeled the spirit of his idol, the record 10-time champion Roger Federer, who claimed the youngest Swiss win here at 18 back in 1999. The teenager outpaced Mensik with 27 winners to 23 across the first two sets, firing flat groundstrokes that exploited the low-bouncing indoor surface and fueled the home support. His one–two returns kept the seed on the defensive, testing resolve in tight exchanges where every point amplified the debutant’s hunger.
“It was a really, really tough night. I’ve been in his [position] two years ago, and I know how it feels to be hungry and fight for every point, and I felt it from him today,” Mensik said after his first ATP Head2Head clash with Bernet. “He has such a huge game, a very aggressive style. One of his great things is his mental strength.“
Mensik’s serve dominates decisive set
Regrouping after the tiebreak slip, Mensik recalibrated his patterns, weaving crosscourt forehands with inside-out backhands to disrupt Bernet’s rhythm and induce errors as the match wore on. In the third set, he unleashed a serving masterclass, winning 94 per cent of first-serve points on 15 of 16 and firing nine of his 18 aces to drown out the crowd’s roar. This tactical shift turned potential baseline battles into swift points, underscoring the seed’s growth in high-stakes indoor play and earning his first win at the tournament.
Mensik now awaits the winner of Tuesday’s clash between defending champion Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and #NextGenATP standout Joao Fonseca, a power-packed matchup that could set up explosive second-round fireworks on these fast courts. The Czech’s composure amid the pressure positions him well for a late-season surge, where mental edges often define deep runs.
Other seeds navigate opening hurdles
Elsewhere on day one, eighth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina notched his 25th hard-court win of 2025, outlasting Lorenzo Sonego 7-6(2), 6-4 with probing slices and down-the-line passes that neutralized the Italian’s flat power. The Spaniard, a finalist in Acapulco and Washington this year, preserved energy through varied depth, setting up a intriguing test against Jenson Brooksby. The American cruised past Alexandre Muller in 67 minutes, 6-4, 6-3, using consistent groundstrokes to exploit second-serve weaknesses and build momentum.
Jaume Munar also advanced steadily, dismissing Swiss qualifier Remy Bertola 6-2, 6-4 by relying on heavy topspin loops to counter the local’s baseline fire. He eyes a second-round clash with last year’s finalist Ben Shelton or Kamil Majchrzak, encounters that promise to heighten the underdog energy in Basel’s draw. As the first round unfolds, these results reveal the surface’s demand for adaptive returns and clutch serving, weaving a narrative of experience prevailing over raw potential in the tournament’s early stages.
