A tragedy, or is it the dawn of better times? Czech men at the Australian Open

Youngsters Lehečka and Macháč passed the qualification and joined Vesely in the main competition. After almost four years, our tennis had three male representatives at the Grand Slam. But is it really a success?

The last time at Roland Garros in 2018, more than two tennis players met in the main competition at a top-four tournament. Back then, Tomas Berdych, Adam Pavlasek and Jiri Vesely competed at the clay grand slam.

The latter still defends the Czech colours at the biggest tournaments, while Berdych retired after prolonged health problems. Pavlásek had similar problems that pushed him from the world’s top 100 to the current sixth.

Two players have participated in subsequent Grand Slam tournaments six times, Jiri Vesely himself five times, and twice the men’s main event has been completely without a Czech footprint.

But this year’s Australian Open was a turning point. Twenty-one-year-old Tomáš Macháč and the even younger Jiří Lehečka made it through the three-round qualification.

Macháč quite confidently beat the Argentine Cerundolo 6::3, 2::6, 6::4, 6::2, but Lehečka even with a quality performance was not enough to beat the Bulgarian Dimitrov 4::6, 6::4, 3::6, 5::7.

Jiri Vesely did not impress either, losing unexpectedly to American Kozlov 5::7, 3::6, 4::6. Macháč also failed to get through the second round, in which he lost to the in-form American Cressy. The Czech men leave the Australian capital with one match won in the main competition.

The passage of the youngsters Lehečka and Macháč through the qualification is certainly great news, but it is still a long way to the top 100. Both players, who shone at the last Davis Cup, still have a long way to go.

Source:: iDNES.cz