Alexander Zverev is into a second Roland Garros final after a 7-5 6-2 3-6 6-3 victory over Jakub Mensik.
The German is into his second Roland Garros final after a battling four set victory over Mensik in a tight match.
Mensik did well to win the third set but the world number two was too strong as he prevailed in four sets.
Zverev will now aim to win his first ever Grand Slam title when he plays Flavio Cobolli or Matteo Arnaldi on Sunday.
In the opening set, both players were tested on serve but it was the second serve of Mensik that was being punished the most.
The world number 27 worked hard to defend his serve using the forehand well but was unable to dictate play in the way he would have liked to.
Most of his opening four games went to Deuce as the Zverev backhand was lethal and opened up the space in the court.
However, there would be a plot twist as Zverev, who was ultra-aggressive on his second serve, landed himself in a bit of trouble in the eighth game/
The German’s shots lacked depth and quality but Mensik played a sensational backhand passing shot to create two break points and eventually a third.
Some big first serves saw Zverev narrowly escape being broken and that would prove crucial as conditions got hotter as the set went on.
This favoured Zverev’s massive backhand as that shot would prove crucial in the eleventh game as Mensik had no answers as he missed an easy shot into the net
The forehand was also in form for Zverev and that helped him to take a tight opening set in 60 minutes.
In the second set, Mensik had made a promising start as he was dictating play with the forehand and being the aggressor.
However, Zverev was one step ahead once again as the backhand was once again causing Mensik a handful of problems.
A big backhand down the line secured a crucial break in the third game for a 2-1 lead in the second set.
There was very minimal pressure from Mensik on return as he tried to get Zverev out of his comfort zone.
However, a double fault under pressure didn’t make things any better for Mensik as Zverev secured a dominant 5-2.
Zverev comfortably closed out a two set lead as this match was only heading in one direction.
Or was it? Because after a medical time out, Mensik seemed to have renewed confidence and was keeping his tactics simple but effective.
This tournament had seen many miraculous comebacks and another was brewing as Zverev started to panic and commit unforced errors.
A string of ridiculous dropshots set the foundations as Mensik broke for a 4-2 lead before comfortably consolidating the break.
Another incredible dropshot sealed the set for Mensik as he gained a set back and his serve and volley tactic was allowing him to dictate play more easily.
The question is would Mensik be able to sustain this high level given how much tennis he has played over the fortnight?
The clear answer would be no. Mensik was lacking energy and with a slice of luck Zverev was able to get the early break as he took a 3-0.
Credit where credit is due and Mensik did everything in his power to deny Zverev the double break as he fought until the end and provided moments of high-quality shot-making.
However, it wasn’t enough as Zverev recovered his slightly erratic forehand from the third set and he was patient and ferocious with it at the crucial stages.
A comfortable hold of serve secured the match for Zverev and a place into his second Roland Garros final.
It was an incredible tournament from Mensik who played incredible tennis to reach his first ever Roland Garros semi-final but just ran out of gas when it mattered most.
As for Zverev, the German will face either Flavio Cobolli or Matteo Arnaldi in the final with Zverev losing his last six matches against Italians.
