'Sorry!' - Watch painful moment Jakub Mensik cramps up during press conference as he prepares for huge French Open semi-final with Alexander Zverev

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Jakub Mensik was feeling the physical toll of his testing French Open quarter-final against Joao Fonseca as he cramped up during his post-match press conference.

Ouch! Watch as poor Mensik suffers severe cramp during press conference

Video credit: SNTV

Mensik has endured physical torment en route to reaching the semi-finals at Roland-Garros and there were some doubts over whether he would be able to continue when he collapsed to the ground and was unable to walk following his second-round victory over Mariano Navone in the searing Paris heat.

Under a closed roof on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Tuesday evening, the climate was not so testing but discomfort in his left leg during the second set of his straight-sets win against Fonseca threatened to derail his efforts.

The Czech, though, worked through the pain - and felt the repercussions later on.

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When fielding a question about his relationship with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, Mensik took a moment to tend to a sudden cramp in his leg. "Sorry," he said, laughing.

Mensik went on to detail the physical issues he was dealing with during the match.

"Yeah, I mean, first two sets I was controlling the game pretty well," Mensik said.

"I was controlling the game on the serve, on the return. I was super calm and very focused, and the momentum was on my side.

Mensik explains how he triumphed over 'one of the greatest hitters on tour' in Fonseca

Video credit: TNT Sports

"Unfortunately, at the end of the second set I started to feel some discomfort in my left leg, which was irritating me during the serve.

"So, I mean, I was, of course, afraid of what is that? Fortunately, it was just a tight muscle. Because of that, I dropped my focus a little bit.

"So that's why at the beginning of the third set was not how I wanted. But as the match and as the third set was going through and it was getting more intense, the pain, like, started to drop down a little bit.

"I started to not feel the pain at all, which obviously I'm super happy that it's nothing serious. During the third set, again, I was able to lock in and to play again my game."

Mensik will face world No. 3 and title favourite Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals.

Zverev defeated prodigious 19-year-old Rafael Jodar in straight sets on Tuesday and appears to have his game intact following the high-profile exits of Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic in the early rounds.

Mensik was defeated by Zverev over three sets in the last 16 of the Madrid Open in April, but the 20-year-old feels their high-stakes meeting at Roland-Garros is a different prospect because he was under the weather leading into that meeting in Spain

"Before Madrid I practised just three, four days," Mensik said. "I came to Madrid without many matches.

"Even if I reach the fourth round or third [it is positive]. I won two matches there. Still, I was not feeling good.

"Basically, because of the toe [infection] and because of the virus, I was focusing more on the things that were outside of the court, which means what to do to be able to play.

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Video credit: TNT Sports

"So actually, when you are focusing on that, it's actually a lot of ups and downs. Before Roland-Garros I was finally healthy. I already managed all the things that I needed to do.

"I was basically super happy that I could come to Roland-Garros, finally good prepared without any injury, playing pain-free.

"Yeah, as the tournament is going, I'm playing better and better. Even with the match with Sascha [Zverev] in Madrid, of course, it was close one. It was best-of-three.

"Right now it's some different situation. Of course, semi-finals. I would say bigger match, best-of-five. I mean, yeah, I'm excited for the challenge."

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