"Even if things don’t go your way, you can go home for a few days. That helps a lot" - Jiri Lehecka enjoying return to Europe with progress in Madrid Open

Jiri Lehecka is a man inform thanks to that deep run in Miami. He is now hopeful of replicating that success on clay after a frustrating period last year. He exclaimed his delight to be back in Europe as he looked back on his second round win over Alejandro Tabilo at the Madrid Open.

It was most definitely not straightforward for the former semi-finalist, who ended up triumphing 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-4. He lost the first three games in the match enroute to losing the first set. A lot of work was needed to be done by Lehecka who was at risk of an early exit. The second set went all the way to a tiebreak, in part due to Lehecka missing a match point. He would not regret this miss as he levelled up proceedings before a single break in the third proved to be enough to secure him a ticket for the third round for just the second time in this tournament.

"I must say, in the first set I was a little surprised by the weather," he said in an interview with the Tennis Channel. "What we were expecting all week was rain, clouds—not that hot or warm. So I adjusted my string tension before the match to be a bit lower, and that caught me off guard."

He had to take drastic action. "At the end of the first set, I immediately went to the umpire and asked to have my racket restrung. That was a good decision, because from that moment I felt like all the balls I was hitting from the baseline were about half a meter out. I wasn’t doing anything wrong technically—I felt like I was playing well—but everything was long, so I needed to change something."

Coincidentally, the pair faced off in the first round of the Monte-Carlo Masters. Lehecka won that one, also in three sets, in an almost repeat of the score in Madrid. He noted that while reflecting on the match. "After that, I felt like I was back in the match," he stated. "It was still very tough to win the second set, but I felt better and better as I played more games and returns. In the third set, I was playing at a very good level. It’s kind of funny because the result is very similar to the match we played against each other in Monte Carlo Masters. But I’m super happy with this match, coming back from a very uncomfortable situation."

Madrid is always a unique tournament to come to for many players. The altitude has its part to play with many players needing to quickly adapt to the surroundings as they get used to the clay underneath their feet.

"The way I feel here, first of all, it’s a big difference whether you play on a small court like today or on the main stadium," Lehecka explained. "With the altitude, the clay sits on solid concrete, so the ball bounces a lot.

"If someone hits a good kick serve, you’re really pushed back. Normally I’d need two or three more meters to be where I want to be. So it feels a bit like playing on a hard court—you can hold serve more easily. If you hit a good serve, that’s it, point done. On return, a good return really pays off. You can play a bit closer to the baseline, and if you go for your shots, it’s very rewarding. Overall, it feels much faster."

Lehecka did not enjoy a great clay swing from last year. He won just five matches in five tournaments competed in, four of these wins coming in the final two. "Last year, my clay season wasn’t good. The only tournaments where I started to feel more comfortable were Hamburg and Roland Garros."

The momentum came way too late for his liking. However, he is now coming off the back of a maiden Masters 1000 final in Miami, losing to the current world number one Jannik Sinner. He senses now an opportunity to get more points on the board and improve his ranking. Currently in world number 14, he is looking to surpass his career high recently reached of 13 with another deep run in a Masters 1000 tournament.

"So I’m very happy with the process this year and the work we put in after Miami Open," he added. "The first couple of tournaments brought some good wins, and we’re building from that. I’m happy I’ve started this clay season in a different way—that was my main goal."

It is not until August when tennis leaves Europe. Masters 1000 competitions in Madrid and Rome have a distinctive pathway to Roland Garros before a short grass swing is culminated by the prestigious Wimbledon. Then the North American hardcourt swing will get back up and running.

That is all a very long way away. Lehecka is just enjoying being back in Europe. "It feels great. Whenever you’re closer to home and the people you love, it’s much easier to play. You also have the chance to go back home between tournaments—everything is just a two- or three-hour flight."

The Czech was happy to be closer to home and emphasised the shorter travelling time between events. "After spending a long time away—like in the Middle East and then the U.S.—I think it’s important," he acknowledged. "Now it’s kind of the Europeans’ turn to be closer to home. We all try to enjoy it as much as we can. Of course, we want to stay in tournaments as long as possible, but even if things don’t go your way, you can go home for a few days. That helps a lot, and I’m enjoying this part of the season."

Up next for the 24-year-old is a matchup against Alex Michelsen. The American showed off his skillset with a 6-2, 6-1 thrashing over Jan-Lennard Struff in less than an hour. Lehecka will go into the contest as the favourite but will need to keep his wits about him if he is to avoid a third round exit.