07.06.2013 17:50:02 | Having defeated Peter Gojowczyk 6:2, 5:7, 6:2, the nineteen-year-old Czech tennis talent Jiri Vesely has made it through to the UniCredit Czech Open finals in which he will face experienced Radek Stepanek. “I think it was an interesting match. I clearly dominated in the first set in which I was outplaying him in all respects. The second set was developing similarly. Unfortunately, I became nervous at 5:4. I started to think about that I could get to the top hundred and that I could appear in the main contest of U.S. Open. Such thoughts really tied me up and I eventually lost the set. Fortunately, I never ceased to believe I would make it in the third set and that I would play my game like I did in the first set. At the beginning of the third set I got a hold of it and never let it go.”
Jiri Vesely clashed with a player ranking fifty places below him in the world chart for the first time. “I hadn’t checked Gojowczyk ranking. What made me nervous was that it was the semifinals already and if I advanced, I would gain thirty points. Thinking about the points and ranking tied me up. That’s what I didn’t want. I wanted to win the match and advance to the finals. But it sometimes happens. You become nervous and keep thinking about such things.”
And what about the finals with Radek Stepanek? “I’m really looking forward to the match. I’ve already practiced with Radek here in Prostejov once. It’ll sure be an interesting match. Radek plays a very diverse game, and I should serve well. I mean I hope I will. It'll sure be a difficult match and I'm going to show my best and try hard to win. Radek's form has improved greatly. I saw him struggle in Paris. Here in Prostejov, the victory in the second round, in which he really had to try hard, helped him a good deal. I played very well yesterday and today. It's gonna be a hard match tomorrow but I'll go for it and do my best.”
