It’s Super Sunday and we’re up for the mega final at the Brisbane International! America’s Reilly Opelka is all set to take on Jiri Lehecka (CZE) in just a few hours from now. Both the players have defeated some big names on their way to the finals. Shortly after making it to the final, Opelka said, “It is great to be in another final. I didn’t think I would be playing one of these at all after the past year.”

After staying out of action for quite a while because of injuries, Opelka has made a strong start in 2025! Lehecka, on the other hand, is entering this contest after being handed a walkover by the defending champion Grigor Dimitrov in the SF. Can he now beat the in-form Opelka in the final?

Reilly Opelka vs Jiri Lehecka: Preview

Reilly Opelka started his 2024 season at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships. He reached the SF over there but was defeated by his compatriot, Alex Michelsen. After that, his performances were pretty much ordinary in the next few tournaments. However, in Brisbane, he has looked like a completely different player! Reilly Opelka outclassed Federico Agustin Gomez (ARG) and Matteo Arnaldi (ITA) in the first two matches before taking up the mega challenge against Novak Djokovic. In the QF, he beat the Serb by 7-6(6),6-3, and then in the SF he sealed the deal at 6-3,7-6(4) against the Frenchman, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

In the meantime, Jiri Lehecka started his 2024 season with a title triumph at the Adelaide International. He defeated Jack Draper (GBR) by 4-6,6-4,6-3 in the final. However, that was his first and only title in the previous season. Although he made quite a few long runs, including SF at the Madrid Open and the final of the European Open, Lehecka failed to deliver in those big matches.

Here in Brisbane, he defeated Holger Rune in the first match by 7-5,6-3. After that, he beat the likes of Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN), and the Chilean Nicolas Jarry in the next two rounds. In the SF, his match against Dimitrov ended abruptly at 6-4,4-4 due to the Bulgarian’s groin injury.

The question remains: What will be the scoreline in the final?

Opelka vs Lehecka: Head-to-Head

Both these players haven’t yet faced each other on the Tour. So, currently, Reilly Opelka’s head-to-head record against the 23-year-old Czech is 0-0. It’ll be interesting to see who has the last laugh in their first encounter!

Prediction: Opelka to win in three sets

With his 85-minute win over Perricard, Reilly Opelka has now clinched his 100th tour-level victory and advanced to his seventh tour-level final. He’s presently aiming for his fifth ATP Tour crown and the first since Houston in 2022. Can he do it in Brisbane? Looking at this form in this tournament and the obstacles he overcomes on his way to the final, it’s challenging not to call him a favorite in this epic battle. On the other hand, Jiri Lehecka has reached his fourth ATP Tour final.

If we look at their performances in the last season, Reilly Opelka (293) had a win-loss record of 7-8, while Lehecka (28) had a win-loss record of 30-19 in 2024. Both these players are more than capable of putting up a show on Sunday with their magical tennis. But if we talk about who has the upper hand in this contest, the American player might slightly edge it. 

Now shifting our focus to their playing styles, Jiri Lehecka plays satisfactory defense and a strong backhand which could help him pose a few challenges to the American tennis star. However, he needs to withstand the fiery serves and venomous shots of Reilly Opelka to have a real chance in this epic battle!

Lehecka is one of the cleanest strikers on the tour. He can hit big from both sides and his lightning forehand is also one of his biggest weapons. This youngster has been making significant strides on the Tour in the last few months and his aggressive baseline play may turn out handy for this surface.

On the other side, the 6ft 11 inches tall, Reilly Opelka uses his height incredibly well to generate real power behind his serves. So, how many aces will he hit against Jiri Lehecka?

Time will tell!

Apart from his serves, Opelka has a good volley and an incredible reach on the courts. His down-the-line backhand is another shot that Lehecka needs to be a bit aware of. So considering all of these, we feel, Opelka has more weapons to win this battle against a relatively inexperienced campaigner like Jiri Lehecka!