07.06.2013 10:07:46 | "Two Czechs in the semis, that's great! And I really believe that one of them will make it to the Saturday's finals. Jiri Vesely has played in great form at UniCredit Czech Open and Radek has shown again how experienced a player he is. It wasn't easy for him in the past weeks. But you can tell, he wants back. I keep my fingers crossed for him and believe the match against Gabashvili won't be his last one on the tournament," says Petra Langrova, Tournament Director.
Radek Stepanek defeated the recent winner of ATP tournament in Nice and a clay specialist, Albert Montanes, seeded fourth at the tournament. Later, the nineteen-year old Jiri Vesely knocked out a Davis Cup representative, Lukas Rosol, in a very prestigious match. "It's been my greatest victory so far. I've defeated García Lopéz, Kavcic, Haider-Maurer, and Darcis, who are all players around the top hundred, but this has been my greatest achievement! It's great to realize you can defeat such players. The match against Kohlschreiber at French Open gave me a lot of confidence and I proved to be able to play against such players and even to have a change to win," Jiri Vesely said with satisfaction after the semifinal match the end of which he managed perfectly: three aces in tie-break and a flawless drop shot!
"The match was very even and very difficult. It was just details that decided the match, such as who manages to convert a break ball and who does not. I think Lukas was a little better at the end of the third set, I got a bit nervous but I could rely on my serve. I won my serve at 6:6 and then served well in the tie-break. My first serve worked well and Lukas was under pressure."
Radek Stepanek has won his third match in a row and it surely gave him confidence. "Of course, it helps. Like I said after the first match, every match I win is the best therapy for me. Physical as well as mental. I want to take the best of it and use it in the next match," said Stepanek who is facing the surprise of the UniCredit Czech Open, Teymuraz Gabashvili (144th in ATP ranking). The Russian has defeated Hajek and exacted revenge for knock out in 2012. Jiri Vesely will be a slight favorite in semifinals. He is facing twenty-three year old Peter Gojowczyk who is by fifty places below him in ATP rankings.
