Jiri Lehecka put Czechia in the driving seat for their Davis Cup qualifying tie vs America.
In straight sets, Lehecka defeated Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-2, to give Czechia the lead.
Playing away from home, the Czech side travelled to Delray Beach, Florida, as the underdogs against the 32-time Davis Cup champions.
Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images for ITF
After the match, Lehecka shared his thoughts on how the American crowd treated him during his win over Tiafoe.
Jiri Lehecka thanks the American fans for being ‘really fair’ in Florida
During his post-match press conference, Lehecka thanked the American fans for treating both players fairly.
“I think that the crowd today was very, very fair from both sides,” he said.
“You know, American fans, they were really fair, and that’s something that I enjoy, that they were, of course, cheering for Frances [Tiafoe] a lot, they were supporting him, which is nice, but at the same time, I enjoyed playing in front of them, as well.
“Around the world, it’s not usual to see a crowd that is as fair as what I experienced tonight.”
Lehecka also took the time to share his appreciation for the Czech fans who travelled to Florida.
“It’s always super nice. These guys are traveling almost everywhere around the world, following us, cheering for us. A small group of, I don’t know, 15, 20 people,” he said.
Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images for ITF
“It means a lot for us, because we know how much time it takes and effort, how much effort it takes to take time off your job and just travel around the world to follow your team, to follow us, and to cheer for us. Doesn’t really matter if we win or lose.
“I think that that’s something that makes Davis Cup so special, and that’s something that makes competing for the Czech flag exciting and special at the same time, because it’s just not something that you can experience every week of the year, every tournament.
“I saw a lot of Czech flags. It’s just something that makes Davis Cup special and what I like about it. So I enjoyed it a lot.”
Powered to victory by the vocal Czech support, Lehecka gave his side a 1-0 lead.
It wasn’t as easy as the scoreline suggested, however, as a pre-match downpour affected the court conditions in Delray Beach.
The surface played a ‘big role’ in the outcome of the match – Jiri Lehecka
Asked about how the rain affected the conditions, Lehecka had this to say.
“I think that today also the surface played a big role in today’s match, because I think that Frances played a couple of very good points. He played them the way he’s used to playing them. But the surface didn’t really help him, didn’t really help him to be that aggressive,” he said.
Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images for ITF
“The way the court is a little bit slower helped me, gave me a bit more time to see where I want to place that passing shot.
“At the same time, of course, I mean, in the beginning of the match, I think that there were very tight moments, and sometimes I was a bit luckier. Sometimes I played just better.”
The Czech star will look to pick up another big win when he returns to play Taylor Fritz on day two.
Lehecka has never beaten Fritz, losing all four of their ATP matches.
MatchWinnerLoserScore2025 Canadian Open – 4RTaylor FritzJiri Lehecka7-6, 6-7, 7-62023 Cincinnati Open – 1RTaylor FritzJiri Lehecka7-6, 6-22023 Monte-Carlo Masters – 3RTaylor FritzJiri Lehecka4-6, 6-4, 6-12023 United Cup – RRTaylor FritzJiri Lehecka6-3, 6-4Taylor Fritz and Jiri Lehecka’s head-to-head record
The pair contested a thriller at the Canadian Open just a few short weeks ago, when Fritz picked up the win in a deciding-set tiebreaker.
Hoping for a slice of revenge, Lehecka will play Fritz for a fifth time on Saturday, September 13, at the Davis Cup.