Tactical evasion aside! Lehecka in Astana attacking to beat her previous best

Jiří Lehečka is the Czech tennis number one and he is still rewriting his best. He is currently at the end of the third ATP world top ten and is definitely heading higher. This week he has chosen a different path than most of the wider tennis top players, is it paying off?

Although he is still waiting for his first triumph in ATP tournaments, he has certainly achieved some interesting results this year. Jiri Lehecka played the final in Winston Salem, the semi-finals in Doha and also the quarter-finals at the Australian Open. He is ranked 29th on the ATP rankings.

The native of Mladá Boleslav is one of the youngest tennis players in the upper echelons of the ATP and could move up again after this week. But unlike the vast majority of players around his ranking position, he has chosen a different tactic.

The Astana Way

The number one tournament for this week is the ATP 500 event in Beijing. That one has attracted up incredible competition. Lehecka preferred the Kazakh capital Astana.

The local 250 category tournament offers less money and points, but the chances of success here will definitely be greater. The Czech number one has earned the status of the fourth seeded tennis player at the event in Kazakhstan.

This step away from the main event may bring Lehecek valuable points. If successful, the Czech tennis player can move up seven places. Each place in this direction is equal to a new maximum for the Czech player.

A great start

Against Gerasim from Belarus, Lehečka started strongly, gaining a break lead in the third game and taking the first set 6:2 after less than half an hour.

Lehecka’s winning phase was slightly stuck in the second set when, after gaining his opponent’s serve in the seventh game, Lehecka did not confirm the break. In the end, however, he won the second set and the match in a shortened game.

The Czech tennis player was able to rely on his serve throughout the match. He scored an ace four times and won 80 percent of the balls after his first serve.

In the end…

Choosing a less busy tournament can pay off for a player at Lehecek’s level. The opening match in Kazakhstan suggested that Czech carried over his form from recent Davis Cup matches. Let’s hope that Lehecka might even attack to win his first ATP triumph.

Source: ATP