Prague Open ONLINE: Martincová faces a combative Frenchwoman

Wimbledon quarterfinalist Bouzková confirmed her role as the favorite. On the hard courts in Prague’s Stromovka, she fared better than last year, when she unexpectedly lost in the first round. Twenty-year-old Krausová, who reached the main competition of the WTA Tour tournament for the first time in her career as a lucky loser from the qualification, resisted the Czech favorite especially in the second set.

“The first matches are always tricky. It was a bit of a nervous match for me to watch, so I’m glad I managed it. After a long break (from Wimbledon) it was a bit difficult to get into the rhythm of the match, and there was also a change of surface. But I’ve already adapted to today and I’m looking forward to the next match,” said Bouzková at the post-match press conference.

The 24-year-old Prague native fared better on the hard surface in Prague’s Stromovka than last year, when she unexpectedly lost in the first round. Twenty-year-old Krausová, who reached the main competition of the WTA Tour tournament for the first time in her career as a lucky loser from the qualification, resisted the Czech favorite especially in the second set.

At 4:2, Bouzková requested a time-out for treatment and lost her lead after the break. “I got a blister. I just needed to patch it and then I didn’t know about it anymore. But that break threw me out of rhythm a bit. My opponent started to play more aggressively, she went for it and it fell to her. I’m glad I won it ” said Bouzková.

The set reached a tie break, which the 66th player in the world and eighth seed Bouzková easily won 7:2. Her next opponent will be the winner of the duel between the Swiss Ylena In-Albonova and the Czech qualifier Dominika Šalková.

The program on the center court will be closed in doubles by Lucie Hradecká and Andrea Sestini Hlaváčková, who took the tournament as a farewell to her career. Duo H+H will challenge Anastasia Detiucová and Miriam Kolodziejová in a Czech duel.

The main Czech star of the tournament will be the reigning champion Barbora Krejčíková, who will be the second highest seeded player after world number two Anett Kontaveitová. Other Czech representatives will be Linda Nosková, Lucie Havlíčková and a pair of successful qualifiers Barbora Palicová and Dominika Šálková.

Lehečka advances, Kopřiva finishes in the 1st round

Jiří Leheček beat the Brazilian Thiago Monteiro 7:6, 6:4 at the tournament in Kitzbühel and, just like last week in Gstaad, advanced to the second round. However, there will be no Czech duel in it, as Vít Kopřiva was eliminated in the first round of the main competition after advancing from the qualification. The 25-year-old native of Bílovec lost 1:6, 5:7 to eighth-seeded Joao Sousa from Portugal.

Leheček, the 68th player in the world, defeated his ranking neighbor Monteiro (67th) in an hour and three quarters. In the tie break of the first set, the young Czech faced a set ball at 5:6, but thanks to two uncatchable serves and a successful stop ball, he won the next three points and thus the set.

In the second set, Leheček lost a rarely seen 13 exchanges in a row from a 5:1 lead, but did not allow the opponent more than a reduction to 4:5. On his own serve, he converted the Brazilian’s first match point after a long return.

At the last tournament in Gstaad, Kopřiva failed to qualify and did not get a chance to defend last year’s sensational semi-final. He fell 35 places in the world rankings to 159th position.

Siniaková dominated the Czech fight

Kateřina Siniaková confirmed her role as the favorite in the Czech duel with Jesika Malečková in Warsaw, and after winning 6:2 and 6:4, she advanced to the second round. Twenty-six-year-old Siniaková dealt with Malečková, who is only in the third hundred in the world rankings, in two hours. She will play with Ana Bogdanova from Romania or Spain’s Nuria Párrizas to advance to the second quarter-final of the season.

Twenty-seven-year-old Malečková did not get her first win in the main competition of the WTA circuit even on her third attempt. She finished in the first round at the premiere in 2016 in Katowice and two weeks ago in Budapest.