Jiri Lehecka defeats Marcos Giron, the last book spot in Antwerp | ATP Tour

Lehecka closes the operation of Giron, the last books in Antwerp

The Czech will meet resurgent Bautista Agut in the championship match

October 19, 2024

Facing a dialed-in opponent and with the last spot on the line, Jiri Lehecka opted to go all-out on Saturday night at the European Open.

The fifth-seeded Czech was rewarded for his bravery with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 semi-final victory against Marcos Giron on the hard court at the ATP 250. Lehecka responded quickly to a mid-match burst from Giron. . breaking the American diet twice in a set decision en route to a one-hour, 57-minute victory.

“All the best to Marcos, he played amazing tennis, especially in the second set,” Lehecka said in his on-court interview. “A couple of times I’ve been speechless with what he’s been able to produce, so I’m very happy to win, I’m very happy to get through and today was a tough fight.

“After the second set, when I told myself I wasn’t playing bad but he was playing unbelievable behind the baseline, I realized I had to use every opportunity I got to push forward and be aggressive. His second serve was the only chance I had to do it, so I tried to use it and it worked well.”

Lehecka converted three of six break points against Giron, according to Infosys ATP Stats, to book her place in her third-tier tournament match. The Adelaide champion is the first Czech to reach an indoor ATP Tour final since his former coach Tomas Berdych won the title in Stockholm in 2015.

A familiar face will await Lehecka in Sunday’s final: Roberto Bautista Agut. The Spaniard previously cruised past Hugo Gaston 6-3, 6-4 to reach his 23rd straight title, and his first since reaching the final in Adelaide in January 2023. Bautista Agut earned a break in each set to stop a boost from Gaston, who had defeated second Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals.

“My last final was in Adelaide last year and it meant a lot to me to be there [another] in the finals,” said Bautista Agut, who has moved up from 12th to 48th in the PIF ATP Live Rankings thanks to his run in Belgium so far. “I’ve been working hard after the injury and enjoying myself on the pitch, like I did this week. This is why I love tennis and why I continue to train hard. I am very happy.”

The Spaniard will enter the court against Lehecka with a 3-1 lead in the Lexus ATP Head2Head series. The two have split two meetings in the past six weeks, with Bautista Agut defeating Lehecka in the Group Stage of the Davis Cup Final in September, and Lehecka later winning in the second round in Beijing.