Highlights from the Clay Challenger in Liberec: Svrčina Advances to Quarterfinals, Macháč Withdraws due to Injury

At the clay challenger in Liberec, the round of 16 singles and the quarterfinals of the doubles took place on Thursday. Among the Czech tennis players, only Dalibor Svrčina made it to the singles quarterfinals. First seed Tomáš Macháč withdrew from the fight with Korean Lee due to a shoulder injury. Michael Vrbenský and Vít Kopřiva also finished the tournament in singles.

Svrčina fought to advance to the quarterfinals
Dalibor Svrčina (170th) advanced to the quarterfinals on the clay challenger in Liberec! Also in his second tournament appearance, the twenty-year-old Czech had to go to three sets. After 2 hours and 19 minutes, he beat Daniel Michalský (263rd), a Pole who was three years older, by a score of 7:5, 4:6 and 6:3.

In the second set, the top three missed the break advantage twice. Also in the deciding act, the Ostrava native did not confirm the opening break on serve at first, but the second did. Svrčina flashed another success at the reception in the final game.

He will play for the semi-finals on Friday with the conqueror of Kopřiva’s compatriot Uge Blanchet (357th) from France.

Macháč scratched in the round of 16 of the Svijany Open
Tomáš Macháč, who entered the match with the Korean with Spanish roots Gerard Campana Lee as the favorite, has to say goodbye to Liberec in the round of 16. Already during the first set, the Czech tennis player had his shoulder treated, which obviously caused a lot of problems for the first seed. After losing the first set 5:7, Macháč decided not to continue the match and retired.

Nettle fell after two hours with Blanchet
Ugo Blanchet (357th) is currently at the Liberec challenger in the role of executioner of the domestic tennis players. After defeating Hynek Bartona in the first round, he also beat the favored Vít Kopřiva (184th) in the round of 16.

Although the Czech tennis player took a 1:0 lead in sets against the Frenchman, he came up short from the second set. He lost his serve four times straight away, and on the return he won only at 1:4 in the third set, when he lost by two breaks. In the end, Kopřiva lost 6:3, 4:6 and 2:6 in two hours and three minutes of the match.

Vrbenský finishes in the round of 16
Michael Vrbenský (386th) in Liberec did not advance to the season’s premiere challenger quarterfinals. The Czech qualifier was not enough at the end of Thursday’s program to beat Argentine favorite Francisco Comesana (223rd). He lost to the eighth-seeded participant of the tournament and the winner of the June challenger in Vicenza after more than two hours 5:7 and 4:6.

The result of the first set was decided by a single break from the eleventh game. In the second act, Comesana was already leading 5:2 and 40:15, but the twenty-three-year-old Czech still managed to reduce it to 5:4 and in the tenth game averted three more match points on the receiving end. The South American subsequently converted the sixth overall.

“I have mixed feelings. I played pretty decent tennis, but unfortunately my hand limited me, so I couldn’t serve at my full potential. I’m otherwise satisfied with the performance, but I’m sorry that I wasn’t 100 percent,” said Vrbenský after the match.

Svijany Open by Moneta Money Bank, Liberec (men, CZE, EUR 73,000, clay)
Round of 16 singles
Francisco Comesana (ARG, 223.) – MICHAEL VRBENSKÝ (386.) 7:5, 6:4
Toby Kodat (USA, 481.) – Norbert Gombos (SVK, 217.) 6:4, 6:3
VÍT NETTLE (184.) – Ugo Blanchet (FRA, 357.) 6:3, 4:6, 2:6
Sumit Nagal (IND, 179.) – Federico Agustin Gómez (ARG, 538.) 4:6, 2:6
Dino Prižmič (CRO, 251.) – Lukáš Klein (SVK, 151.) 6:2, 7:6(6)
Daniel Michalski (POL, 263rd) – DALIBOR SVRCINA (170.) 5:7, 6:4, 3:6
Hernan Casanova (ARG, 267.) – Riccardo Bonadio (ITA, 195.) 6:4, 7:6(5)
TOMÁŠ MACHÁČ (104th) – Gerard Campana Lee (KOR, 565.) 5:7 scratch

Doubles quarterfinals
Bittoun Kouzmine (FRA), Uzhilovsky (UKR) – Pichler (AUT), Prihodko (UKR) 6:4, 6:3
FUNNY, HILARIOUS – Oberleitner (AUT), Sandkaulen (GER) 3:6, 6:7(6)
NOUZA, PAULSON – NETTLE, RUSHED 6:4, 6:3
Gomez (ARG), Willis (GBR) – Pucinelli de Almeida, Reis Da Silva (BRA) bez boje

1st round of doubles
Pucinelli de Almeida, Reis Da Silva (BRA) – Klein (SVK), Serdarusič (CRO) 7:5, 1:1 draw

Editor, photo: Czech Tennis Association / Pavel Lebeda (sport-pics.cz)

Vít Kopřiva Michael Vrbenský Dalibor Svrčina Tomáš Macháč