Tennis player Jiří Leheček defeated Grigor Dimitrov from Bulgaria 7:6, 6:4 in the 2nd round of the clay tournament in Monte Carlo and advanced to the round of 16 of the Masters event for the first time in his career.
The 21-year-old native of Mladá Boleslav beat the former world number three in one hour and 41 minutes.
The 42nd player in the world, Leheček, followed up his opening triumph over Finn Emil Ruusuvuori in Monte Carlo and did not lose a set again.
Although he lost serve twice in the first set, he was able to come back from a 3:5 disadvantage and won the tie-break 7:4.
This year’s Australian Open quarter-finalist Leheček was already 100% on serve in the second set, and he deprived his opponent ten years older of his service with a clean game in the ninth game.
He immediately added to the duel when he used the very first match point. Dimitrov also paid for 15 unforced errors and five double faults.
In the next match, he will face the Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka, or the eight-seeded American Taylor Fritz.
Men’s tennis tournament in Monte Carlo (clay, subsidy 6,228,295 euros):
Singles – 2nd round: Lehečka (Czech Republic) – Dimitrov (Bulgaria) 7:6 (7:4), 6:4, Ruud (4-Nor.) – Van de Zandschulp (Netherlands) 7:5, 7: 6 (7:1), Sinner (7-It.) – Schwartzman (Arg.) 6:0, 3:1 scratch, Musetti (16-It.) – Nardi (It.) 6:0, 6:0, Zverev (13-Germany) – Bautista (Spain) 6:4, 6:4, Struff (Germany) – De Minaur (14-Austria) 6:3, 6:2, Jarry (Chile) – Popyrin ( Austr.) 3:6, 7:5, 6:4.
