Czech tennis player Jiří Lehečka has advanced to the final of the tournament in Basel, marking his third career championship match. Lehečka secured his spot after a challenging three-set semifinal victory against Jan-Lennard Struff, the player who previously eliminated Novak Djokovic from the tournament.
Semifinal comeback against Jan-Lennard Struff
Lehečka’s path to the final required a significant rally during his match against Struff. After dropping the first set 3–6, the Czech athlete faced a critical moment in the second set while trailing 4–5. Lehečka faced a match point but successfully saved it to extend the set. He eventually claimed the second set 7–5 and converted his first match point opportunity in the third set to seal the victory.
Prior to this semifinal struggle, Lehečka had maintained a dominant form throughout the tournament, reaching the final four without dropping a single set.
Championship match history and opponent
The Basel final represents Lehečka’s third opportunity to secure a professional title. His previous two victories both occurred on Australian soil: he won in Adelaide in 2024 and secured another title in Brisbane the following year. This season, he has reached three finals in total, having previously competed against world-leading players in Miami and Tokyo.
Lehečka’s opponent in the Basel final is Valentin Vacherot. Vacherot, a Monegasque player, has seen a rapid rise in the rankings over the past year. V říjnu 2025 jako hráč třetí světové stovky a náhradník triumfoval Valentin Vacherot na turnaji Masters v Šanghaji a od té doby se posunul na momentální 31. místo na světě. His recent performance includes an appearance in Miami and semifinals in Monte-Carlo and Tokyo, where he was defeated by Lehečka 4–6 and 2–6.
Historical matchup record
The upcoming final serves as a rematch between the two players. Beyond their meeting in Tokyo, the pair previously faced each other one year ago at the Paris Masters. In that encounter, Vacherot emerged victorious with a 6–1, 6–3 win. Despite Vacherot’s recent ascent, Lehečka enters this match with the momentum of his semifinal comeback.
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