Lehecka more than happy to win three games against red-hot Sinner
PARIS :Jiri Lehecka may have been thrashed 6-0 6-1 6-2 by top seed Jannik Sinner at the French Open but the Czech player said he was more than happy to take a few games off the world number one who has been in sublime form at Roland Garros.
Sinner needed a little over 90 minutes to dismantle Lehecka's ambitions of a third-round upset on Saturday, losing only nine points on serve and reeling off 11 straight games before his opponent even got on the board.
Lehecka raised his fist in celebration amid cheers from the crowd at Court Suzanne-Lenglen when he finally won a game but the 23-year-old - ranked 34th in the world - knew he was beaten by a player in a different league.
"Everyone who could see what was happening today, I was very happy that I won at least one game because of the way how Jannik played, the way he approached the game and how he was killing me in basically everything," Lehecka told reporters.
"These three games were a big success for me today. It is how it is, I don't really think that I would have done something differently... He just played an incredible match.
"The crowd was amazing, it was kind of funny that they were cheering for me like that. I just got my ass kicked today, he was better in everything."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Straits Times
Djokovic turns to drop shot magic in testing French Open win
PARIS - Novak Djokovic hit a barrage of drop shots to beat Alexander Zverev for a place in the French Open semi-finals on Wednesday and the Serbian said his hand was forced by windy conditions that left him feeling like he had two opponents. Djokovic produced 35 of the delicate best from his racket in a 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 win, his 101st victory at Roland Garros, which kept his quest for a 25th Grand Slam title alive and earned him a semi-final with top seed Jannik Sinner. "Against the wind, especially that side where I was playing the last game, I felt the wind increased in the last few games," Djokovic told reporters. "It was almost playing against two players. I feel the ball isn't going anywhere you're hitting it. People don't see that on the TV, but on the court, you can feel it a lot. "I was just trying to mix it up. At one point, I felt like I couldn't go through him, so I tried to bring him to the net and risk it with the drop shot, serve and volley. It had to be done. "I was tense, to finish off the match, and he was playing consistent from the back of the court in the last game, wasn't making errors and was making me work." Djokovic arrived in Paris having won his 100th tour-level title in Geneva to open his account in an otherwise lacklustre year where he crashed out early in several big tournaments. He said in Madrid that he was coming to terms with a "new reality" in tennis of trying to win a match or two. "That wasn't a great feeling, but it's something I haven't experienced for many years, 20 years I've been playing. That's why I said I have to try to find a way to bounce back at the Grand Slams," he added. "It's no secret it's been like that for years but especially now it's all about Grand Slams for me, trying to raise the level and play my best tennis at these four tournaments. This is what I've been managing to do. "The win against Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, the win in the quarter-finals tonight against Zverev proves to myself and others that I can still play on the highest level, and I just thrive on these occasions. "This is where I lock in and really give my best. So I just hope that I'll be able to physically keep up with Sinner in few days' time. It's a big challenge for me." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Straits Times
Djokovic is underrated and still up there with the best says beaten Zverev
Djokovic is underrated and still up there with the best says beaten Zverev PARIS - Three-time French Open champion Novak Djokovic is underrated at the age of 38 despite continuing to deliver world class performances, said Germany's Alexander Zverev after his quarter-final loss to the Serbian on Wednesday. The 28-year-old, a finalist last year, was attempting to become only the fourth man in the Open era to reach the French Open semi-finals in five consecutive years, after Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Instead he bowed out of the tournament, having lost in four sets to Djokovic, who will play Italian world number one Jannik Sinner for a spot in Sunday's final. "I think it was very, very high level from him," Zverev told a press conference. "It was at some point difficult for me." "I, at some point, felt like I didn't know how to win a point from the baseline against him. I thought he was having solutions to a lot of things that I was doing." Djokovic unusually played 35 drop shots in the game, forcing Zverev constantly to the net and mixing up his game to stop the German from pounding him from the baseline. "I think at the moment he's a bit underrated, to be honest," Zverev said of the 38-year-old. "I think like a lot of people count him out already, but this year he's had wins over Carlos (Alcaraz) at the Australian Open, he has had a win over me at the French Open." "Forget the age. I think for any player, those are pretty good results. He is still beating the best of the best, so I think everybody needs to respect that." Former world number one Djokovic is just two matches away from becoming the first player, male or female, to win 25 Grand Slam singles trophies. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
10 hours ago
- CNA
Djokovic is underrated and still up there with the best says beaten Zverev
PARIS :Three-time French Open champion Novak Djokovic is underrated at the age of 38 despite continuing to deliver world class performances, said Germany's Alexander Zverev after his quarter-final loss to the Serbian on Wednesday. The 28-year-old, a finalist last year, was attempting to become only the fourth man in the Open era to reach the French Open semi-finals in five consecutive years, after Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Instead he bowed out of the tournament, having lost in four sets to Djokovic, who will play Italian world number one Jannik Sinner for a spot in Sunday's final. "I think it was very, very high level from him," Zverev told a press conference. "It was at some point difficult for me." "I, at some point, felt like I didn't know how to win a point from the baseline against him. I thought he was having solutions to a lot of things that I was doing." Djokovic unusually played 35 drop shots in the game, forcing Zverev constantly to the net and mixing up his game to stop the German from pounding him from the baseline. "I think at the moment he's a bit underrated, to be honest," Zverev said of the 38-year-old. "I think like a lot of people count him out already, but this year he's had wins over Carlos (Alcaraz) at the Australian Open, he has had a win over me at the French Open." "Forget the age. I think for any player, those are pretty good results. He is still beating the best of the best, so I think everybody needs to respect that." Former world number one Djokovic is just two matches away from becoming the first player, male or female, to win 25 Grand Slam singles trophies.
