Jakub Mensik is "excited" for the chance to face Novak Djokovic again after beating Taylor Fritz to book his place in the Miami Open final.

He had to hold his nerve in their two-and-a-half-hour battle, coming out on top with a 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 7-6 (7-4) victory to set up a second meeting with the Serb.

Strong serves were on show from both players, with Mensik hitting 25 aces to Fritz's 14. The former also won 82% of his first-serve points (60/73), while the American won 80% (63/79).

The first set was tight, with neither of them able to even force a break point, while there was only one deuce overall. Mensik found the edge in the tie-break though, winning the final three points to take the lead.

Fritz went a break up at the start of the second set and did not look back from there, comfortably holding off the 19-year-old to force a decider.

There was little to split them again in the third set, though Mensik came closest as he got his first break points of the match in the fourth game, but Fritz successfully defended them both, clawing his way to another tie-break.

Mensik showed his prowess in the tie-break once more. Despite falling 4-3 behind, he reeled off the final four points in a row, including winning a stunning 27-shot rally on Fritz's serve to set up two match points, to reach the showpiece on Sunday.

When idols become your rivals @mensik_jakub_  @DjokerNole @MiamiOpen | #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/MHaBVZxwNI

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 29, 2025

"The return was tough," Mensik said. "We were serving really great, so he didn't give me an opportunity to break him. It was just the tie-breaks for me that was the decider.

"It feels incredible [to be playing Djokovic]. For me, it was a dream to play against him in Shanghai.

"For now, it's a bit different. I am a better player now, and I'm going to enjoy and it's going to be really exciting. Let's see what's going to happen Sunday."

Data Debrief: Battle of the generations

Mensik last faced Djokovic at the Shanghai Masters in 2024, winning the first set before the 40-time ATP Masters 1000 champion rallied to the win.

Since 1990, the age gap of 18 years and 102 days between Djokovic and Mensik will be the biggest in an ATP Masters 1000 final, surpassing the 16y 35d between Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal (Montreal 2005).

The Czech, who is the third lowest-ranked finalist in tournament history, has become the fifth teenager in the past 20 years to reach the men's singles final in Miami after Nadal (2005), Djokovic (2007), Jannik Sinner (2021) and Carlos Alcaraz (2022).

He is also just the fourth teenager since 1990 to achieve multiple ATP top-10 wins at more than one ATP Masters 1000 event (Shanghai 2024, Miami 2025), along with Nadal, Alcaraz and Holger Rune.