De Minaur registered a fighting win against Lehecka in Davis Cup
On Wednesday, Nov. 22, Alex de Minaur of Australia defeated Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-5 in the Davis Cup quarterfinals in Malaga. Australia had lost the first rubber, but de Minaur’s hard-fought victory tied the match at 1-1. The game lasted around two and a half hours.
The Australians subsequently won the next doubles match, 6-4, 7-5, to win the tie and go to the semifinals. On that topic, let us examine two aspects of the game that jumped out:
1. Jiri Lehecka controlled the first set with his strong forehand:
Jiri Lehecka’s strategy in the opening set was to engage Alex de Minaur in crosscourt forehand exchanges before unleashing his booming down-the-line forehand into the open court. De Minaur’s backhand slices regularly knocked the tempo off the ball, but Lehecka was ready to pounce on any short ball sent his way.
The Czech broke early in the first set to go up 4-3 and then maintained his serve to increase the lead. He then went on to easily win the group, drawing first blood and gaining a substantial lead in the match.
2. De Minaur began to play his shots deeper as Jiri Lehecka’s net-rushing frequently backfired:
Jiri Lehecka maintained his dominance in the early stages of the second set, winning another break of serve to take the lead. The 22-year-old Czech was serving for the match at 5-4, but De Minaur broke back and kept the game alive.
The set then proceeded to a tie-break, which the Australian easily won after racing to a 2-0 lead. The deciding set was equally close, but the 24-year-old Australian did just enough to grab the vital break and eventually win the match.
From the second set on, the Australian began to play his strokes deeper, limiting his opponent’s ability to hit too many short balls for wins. As a result, Lehecka began routinely going over his backhand to take the ball with his forehand. In medium-fast conditions, he still struggled to knock through the Australian.
The young Czech also attacked the net frequently, but that strategy backfired at times, as De Minaur was able to catch him off guard with a few well-placed lobs. In the end, the current World No. 12 earned his victory.
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