05.06.2013 18:07:16 | After two hours and eleven minutes the fifth-seeded Radek Stepanek beat the thirty-one year old Jan Mertl (193rd in ATP ranking) and advanced to the quarterfinals of UniCredit Czech Open. It was not an easy match for him. "My father always said that it's easy to win for any loser if he has his day," Radek Stepanek recalled his memories following his advancement to the quarterfinals. "Every victory counts and one has to win showing a poor performance sometimes to set a basis for a better one. And I hope this is the case. What's positive is that I've won two matches in a row after the surgery."
And what about the second set ending? "It was rather the beginning than the ending. I had several break balls and two of his serve games. Convert those, I'd have had the upper hand and the match would have been like in the first set. Unfortunately, I let him back in the game. Then, the game leveled up and it was like it was." And what did Mertl improve that the match went to the third set? "He obviously became relaxed because he had nothing to lose. He improved his service by a great deal. All that only because I gave him the chance. I had his serve, was leading 40:0, but failed to take the opportunity. As a result, one ceases to play his game, starts to play otherwise, and that was a mistake. No matter if my play is not fruitful next time, I still have to stick to it and should not play something that's not in my nature. This is what I need to learn for the following matches.“
