Madrid Open Hero Jiri Lehechka Shows No Mercy to Tomas Berdych With Constant Reminders of Past Horrors

Jiri Lehecka is having a dream run at the Madrid Open this year. The 22-year-old Czech tennis player withdrew from Monte Carlo and Barcelona due to a vertebra issue. He bounced back in Madrid, reaching the semifinals for the first time in his career. He’s the first Czech player to do so in a Masters since Tomas Berdych in 2015. After reaching the SF, Lehecka was seen cracking a joke on Berdych, who is currently also a member of Jiri Lehecka’s team.

During an on-court interview, the current Czech number one was asked if Berdych ever talks about his playing days with the team. In reply, Jiri Lehecka gave a smile and stated, “Yeah he talks about it a lot. He’s not smiling that much when I ask him about his record against the Big 3. I’m just joking.. he’s a great addition to the team.“

In his previous match, Daniil Medvedev was forced to withdraw from the match due to an adductor issue. Winning a match like this is never pleasant, but a win is a win. And here’s what he had to say after the match, “It’s never easy in a match like this. If I were to choose the way how to win this match, it wouldn’t be like that. So of course, it’s never easy to see your opponent struggling. But at that moment, you just need to focus on yourself, trying to get the maximum level out of yourself.” 

Jiri Lehecka will take on Canada’s Felix-Auger Aliassime in the SF match. This match is surely going to be an exciting contest to watch, with both players trying to prove themself on the bigger stages. Lehecka entered into this tournament as the world number 31 and he has already surged to number 22 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. If he somehow manages to reach the finals this year then he would surely make his debut into the Top 20 and would climb to number 17 with the title. So, there’s a lot at stake for the rising star from the Czech Republic.

Can Berdych help him achieve astonishing feats in his career? Time will tell. But there was a time when this 38-year-old Czech former tennis player silenced the Madrid crowd with his incredible performance against Rafael Nadal.

Jiri Lehecka took inspiration from Tomas Berdych when he grew up, but who are those players who played a pivotal role in the rise of Berdych?

Tomas Berdych’s most notable performance in his career came at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships. In that tournament, the Czech tennis star defeated Roger Federer in the QF and Novak Djokovic in the SF. But he was defeated by Rafael Nadal in the Finals. However, it was Berdych who had the last laugh in the QF of the 2006 Madrid Open. Defeating the defending champion on his home soil and then shushing the Madrid crowd. That’s pretty much unthinkable. In fact, that was his third consecutive victory over Nadal.

Although it has been a one-sided battle in the H2H favoring ‘Big Three’ against Berdych. But Jiri Lehecka’s teammate thinks playing against some of the big names has done wonders for his career. “The main reason I actually think I was so successful was because of those guys. Because they bring the level so high that if you don’t squeeze enough out of yourself. You have no chance to compete with them.” Can Lehecka be the next Berdych?