07.06.2013 15:24:39 | Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia lost an "almost won" match in the UniCredit Czech Open semifinals. He was leading 4:1 to Radek Stepanek in the third set and serving. "I was leading 4:1 and serving in the third set, but I started to play like a junior. I underestimated the situation and gave the opponent a chance,“ frustrated Gabashvili said after the match and went on: „I've played very badly today until the beginning of the third set. Then, I found my game again and started to play quite well. I put good pressure on the opponent.“
The Russian who had easily knocked out the former champions Mayer and Hajek and who had won thirteen challenger matches in a row could not recover from the breakthrough: "At the beginning, I played well. But I stopped all of a sudden. I'm a complete idiot because I lost a match I should have won. I deserve it for underestimating the situation." However, he did not hesitate to talk highly of the winner, Radek Stepanek: "I'd like to point out that Radek Stepanek played an incredible match and I have to pay my tribute to him!"
