"I wanted to play aggressively": Jiri Lehecka highlights reason behind upset win against Carlos Alcaraz in Doha

Czech Republic’s young tennis star Jiri Lehecka has highlighted how he managed to get the better of former world number one Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz. The 23-year-old secured one of the biggest wins of his career after beating a player who is regarded as one of the best in the world in men’s tennis in the singles category in the quarterfinal with a score of 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

Talking after the match, Lehecka stated that he felt really good after securing the result. The Mlada Boleslav-star player highlighted that his intention was to ‘push’ Alcaraz, which is why he decided to play aggressively, which helped his cause greatly.

Read also

"I leave Doha with my head held high": Carlos Alcaraz remains upbeat despite Qatar Open quarterfinal upset defeat

“I feel very good,” he said. “The match was up and down from the beginning. To win a match like that against a player like that is a huge achievement. I believed in myself. I knew I had the level to produce this kind of tennis. I think if I am more consistent in the matches, I will be able to get more and more results. The most important thing is that I always believed in my game. Even after I missed the first set, I wanted to play aggressively, play my game. I wanted to push it to its limits. I was just waiting for the right moment to put it all together. The confidence I had in my game was the key today.”

Read also

Carlos Alcaraz's Qatar Open campaign ends with shock loss to Jiri Lehecka

Lehecka is now set to face Britain’s Jack Draper in the semifinal of the competition on Tuesday. The 23-year-old, who is also regarded as one of the most talented players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category, defeated Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in the quarterfinal with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. This will be the third meeting between the two players in professional tennis. In the previous two meetings, both players emerged victorious on one occasion.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Unlock your ultimate tennis experience—subscribe today for exclusive access to top stories.

Subscribe