Illustrative photo – Czech tennis player Jiří Lehečka, January 24, 2023.
Indian Wells – Tennis player Jiří Lehečka advanced to the second round at the prestigious tournament in Indian Wells. He won 7:6, 7:5 over Arthur Rinderknech from France and claimed his first win in his second start at the Masters series event. Linda Fruhvirtová also succeeded in her debut in Indian Wells. The 17-year-old star of the emerging generation turned the duel with Majar Šarífová around and defeated the Egyptian 0:6, 6:2, 6:3.
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The 21-year-old Lehečka, who made his debut at the Masters last year in Monte Carlo after advancing from the qualification, had to make up twice against Rinderknech in the opening set and faced two set points at 5:6, but he managed the difficult situation. He won the first set in 63 minutes in a tie-break, 7:4, and won the second set in less than an hour.
For advancement to the third round, Lehečka will face sixth-seeded Andrej Rubljov, whose scalp he won at the recent tournament in Doha. where he then reached the semi-finals. He will face the Russian for the third time in his career, the balance is now 1:1.
In the duel with Šarífová, the elder of the Fruhvirt sisters was unable to get into the game at all in the first set when her opponent was serving. She won only one fifth on the return and lost the opening act in half an hour. But she managed to knock herself out of the canary. In the second set, she took the opponent's serve twice and equalized. In the decisive set, she did not let herself be broken by the loss of serve, to which she responded immediately and from the score of 2:3 she did not allow Šarífová to win a game. with Anhelina Kalinin from Ukraine.
The opponent of Petra Kvitová's tournament top 15, who, like all the other seeded players, had a free draw in the opening round, will be the daughter of former Czech representative Hana Mandlíková Elizabeth. Barbora Krejčíková, seeded 16th, will play against another Ukrainian, Dajana Jastremska, while Karolina Plíšková, 17th, will face Russia's Anna Kalinská.
Men's and women's tennis tournament in Indian Wells
(hard surface, subsidy $8.8 million):
Men:
Singles – 1st round:
Lehčka (CZ) – Rinderknech (Fr.) 7:6 (7:4), 7:5, Tabilo (Chile ) – Marterer (Germany) 6:4, 6:3, Daniel (Japan) – Carballés (Spain) 6:1, 7:5, Garín (Chile) – Galán (Col.) 6:4, 6: 2, Wu I-ping (China) – Munar (Sp.) 6:7 (6:8), 6:0, 7:6 (7:3), Schwartzman (Arg.) – Coria (Arg.) 6: 1, 6:2, Thompson (Aust.) – Monfils (Fr.) 6:3, 6:1, Wu Tung-Lin (Taiwan) – Bublik (Kaz.) 6:4, 6:4.
Women:
Singles – 1st round:
L. Fruhvirtová (Czech Republic) – Šarífová (Egypt) 0:6, 6:2, 6:3, Bucsaová (Sp.) – Swanová (Brit.) 7:6 (8:6), 7:5, Wang Si-ju (China) – Danilovic (Serb.) 4:6, 6:2, 6:3, Giorgio (It.) – Rus (Netherlands) 6:3, 6:3, Rogers – Volynets (both USA ) 6:4, 4:6, 6:1, Curenková (Ukrainian) – Chu Lin (China) 6:4, 6:3, Petersonová (Swedish) – Kosťuková (Ukrainian) 7:5, 5:7 , 7:5, Kalinská (Russia) – Parksová (USA) 6:1, 6:1, Mandlikova – Riskeová-Amritrajová (both USA) 6:3, 5:7, 7:6 (7:1), Teichmannová (Switzerland) – Krueger (USA) 6:1, 6:4.
