With Lionel Messi watching, Novak Djokovic advances to Miami Open final to face upstart Jakub Mensik

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Novak Djokovic had some company for another Miami Open victory.

With Lionel Messi watching, Djokovic cruised into the Miami Open final by routing 14th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-3 on Friday at Hard Rock Stadium.

The fourth-seeded Djokovic will try for a seventh Miami Open title on Sunday against unseeded 19-year-old upstart Jakub Mensik, who won a thriller decided by a third-set tiebreaker over No. 3 seed Taylor Fritz in Friday's other semifinal, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 7-6 (7-4).

The 37-year-old Djokovic, who won six times at the tournament’s previous venue at Key Biscayne, also is going for his 100th professional title.

He has been out of form this year, starting with an injury retirement at the Australian Open in January. Earlier this month, he lost his first match at Indian Wells to Botic van de Zandschulp.

In his on-court interview, Djokovic acknowledged the presence of Messi, who plays for Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami, calling him “King Leo."

Djokovic said Messi visited the locker room with his wife and children and they “exchanged gifts." Djokovic has seen Messi play live before but this was the first time the soccer great watched him.

“Obviously, it’s a thrill to have his whole family,’’ Djokovic said. “It’s a huge honor. He’s such a great athlete, not just a football player. His impact on the world of sports in the last 20 years has been immense.

“To have him watch me live brings me great joy and excitement and also a little pressure. It’s definitely different when he brings his family. I was touched by that."

The match was disrupted during the third game when a fan was removed by security. The chair umpire came down to the court and called for security as he walked toward the stands.

Dimitrov had jawed with the fan and came over to the sideline to point out the heckler to the umpire.

“It’s just heckling, it’s fine,’’ Dimitrov said. “I’m a very calm guy overall. I don’t pick any fights but don’t trigger me.’’

Dimitrov eliminated Francisco Cerundulo in the quarters. He stayed on the court for 25 minutes after the victory, sitting in a wheelchair because of dizziness. He was helped off by tournament medical personnel and canceled his post-match news conference.

Dimitrov said he was given lots of water and ice but added “I don’t have a recollection of exactly what happened. We’re putting our bodies through so much. It’s one of those matches where you have to carry me out of the court somehow.’’

Djokovic was broken by Dimitrov in the first game, but he quickly settled down and closed out the first set in 32 minutes.

The men’s leader with 24 Grand Slam titles made 87% of his first serves, missing just six all match on a breezy day. He also committed only five unforced errors in the 70-minute match.

“Now I know how it feels to be (John) Isner and (Reilly) Opelka,’’ Djokovic said of two serving behemoths. “Maybe my serve has been a bit underrated."

The Serbian improved to 13-1 against Dimitrov in his career. The Bulgarian pulled out the ultimate superlative.

“He wears confidence like a stain on your shirt,’’ Dimitrov said. “It’s beautiful to see. Only a few athletes on Earth possess that quality.’’

Mensik hasn’t been to an ATP 1,000-point final and came in to the Miami Open ranked 54th.

He showed nerves of steel against Fritz at 4-4 in the deciding tiebreaker, winning the last three points.

Mensik, who didn’t post a service break all match, blasted a backhand winner down the line for 5-4. Fritz hit a forehand long off a 20-shot rally and punched a forehand in the net on double match point to end the two hour and 25-minute nightcard.

Mensik shook hands with Messi before the match. “I didn’t wash my hands before I stepped on the court," Mensik said.

Mensik credits Djokovic as the reason he picked up tennis. He lost to Djokovic in Shanghai Masters in a three-setter last October. Djokovic will have 18 years on his opponent.

“It feels incredible, unbelievable (to play him),’’ Mensik said. “It was a dream to play against him in Shanghai. I’m a better player now than I was in Shanghai.’’

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Taylor Fritz gestures after losing a point against Jakub Mensik of the Czech Rebublic during a semifinal match at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Taylor Fritz returns a hit to Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic during a semifinal match at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic serves to Taylor Fritz during a semifinal match at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic celebrates after defeating Taylor Fritz during a semifinal match at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Soccer star Lionel Messi, top, poses for selfies with fans at the end of a semifinal match between Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, and Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, serves during his semifinal match against Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Soccer star Lionel Messi, center, sits with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo, left, and their three sons, one of whom is seen at right, as they watch a semifinal match between Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, and Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, plays a shot in his semifinal match against Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, mimes playing a violin with his racket as he celebrates winning his semifinal match against Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, plays a shot in his semifinal match against Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, plays a shot in his semifinal match against Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, salutes the crowd after winning his semifinal match against Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

RHO, Italy (AP) — No ice is colder and harder than speedskating ice. The precision it takes has meant that Olympic speedskaters have never competed for gold on a temporary indoor rink – until the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games.

In the pursuit of maximum glide and minimum friction, Olympic officials brought on ice master Mark Messer, a veteran of six previous Olympic speedskating tracks and the ice technician in charge of the Olympic Oval in Calgary, Canada — one of the fastest tracks in the world with over 300 records.

Messer has been putting that experience to work one thin layer of ice at a time since the end of October at the new Speed Skating Stadium, built inside adjacent trade fair halls in the city of Rho just north of Milan.

“It’s one of the biggest challenges I’ve had in icemaking,’’ Messer said during an interview less than two weeks into the process.

If Goldilocks were a speedskater, hockey ice would be medium hard, for fast puck movement and sharp turns. Figure skating ice would be softer, allowing push off for jumps and so the ice doesn’t shatter on landing. Curling ice is the softest and warmest of all, for controlled sliding.

For speedskating ice to be just right, it must be hard, cold and clean. And very, very smooth.

“The blades are so sharp, that if there is some dirt, the blade will lose the edge,’’ Messer said, and the skater will lose speed.

Speedskater Enrico Fabris, who won two Olympic golds in Turin in 2006, has traded in his skates to be deputy sports manager at the speedskating venue in Rho. For him, perfect ice means the conditions are the same for all skaters — and then if it's fast ice, so much the better.

"It's more of a pleasure to skate on this ice,'' he said.

Messer’s first Olympics were in Calgary in 1988 — the first time speedskating was held indoors. “That gave us some advantages because we didn’t have to worry about the weather, wind blowing or rain,’’ he said. Now he is upping the challenge by becoming the first ice master to build a temporary rink for the Olympics.

Before Messer arrived in Italy, workers spent weeks setting up insulation to level the floor and then a network of pipes and rubber tubes that carry glycol — an antifreeze — that is brought down to minus 7 or minus 8 degrees Celsius (17.6 to 19.4 degrees Fahrenheit) to make the ice.

Water is run through a purification system — but it can’t be too pure, or the ice that forms will be too brittle. Just the right amount of impurities “holds the ice together,’’ Messer said.

The first layers of water are applied slowly, with a spray nozzle; after the ice reaches a few centimeters it is painted white — a full day’s work — and the stripes are added to make lanes.

“The first one takes about 45 minutes. And then as soon as it freezes, we go back and do it again, and again and again. So we do it hundreds of times,’’ Messer said.

As the ice gets thicker, and is more stable, workers apply subsequent layers of water with hoses. Messer attaches his hose to hockey sticks for easier spreading.

What must absolutely be avoided is dirt, dust or frost — all of which can cause friction for the skaters, slowing them down. The goal is that when the skaters push “they can go as far as possible with the least amount of effort,’’ Messer said.

The Zamboni ice resurfacing machine plays a key role in keeping the track clean, cutting off a layer and spraying water to make a new surface.

One challenge is gauging how quickly the water from the resurfacing machine freezes in the temporary rink.

Another is getting the ice to the right thickness so that the Zamboni, weighing in at six tons, doesn’t shift the insulation, rubber tubing or ice itself.

“When you drive that out, if there’s anything moving it will move. We don’t want that,’’ Messer said.

The rink got its first big test on Nov. 29-30 during a Junior World Cup event. In a permanent rink, test events are usually held a year before the Olympics, leaving more time for adjustments. “We have a very small window to learn,’’ Messer acknowledged.

Dutch speedskater Kayo Vos, who won the men’s neo-senior 1,000 meters, said the ice was a little soft — but Messer didn’t seem too concerned.

“We went very modest to start, now we can start to change the temperatures and try to make it faster and still maintain it as a safe ice,’’ he said.

Fine-tuning the air temperature and humidity and ice temperature must be done methodically — taking into account that there will be 6,000 spectators in the venue for each event. The next real test will be on Jan. 31, when the Olympians take to the ice for their first training session.

“Eighty percent of the work is done but the hardest part is the last 20 percent, where we have to try to find the values and the way of running the equipment so all the skaters get the same conditions and all the skaters get the best conditions,’’ Messer said.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Serpentines are set on the ice of the stadium where speed skating discipline of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, in Rho, outskirt of Milan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Ice Master Mark Messer poses in the stadium where speed skating discipline of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, in Rho, outskirt of Milan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Workers clean the ice surface during a peed skating Junior World Cup and Olympic test event, in Rho, near Milan, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Ice Master Mark Messer poses in the stadium where speed skating discipline of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, in Rho, outskirt of Milan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Ice Master Mark Messer poses in the stadium where speed skating discipline of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, in Rho, outskirt of Milan, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)