02.06.2015 10:24:29 | Radek Štěpánek came to Prostějov in an optimistic mood and he sure had a reason. He showed a great performance against his friend from the Davis Cup team Tomáš Berdych on clay in Paris. “I made him play his maximum. Nobody would have thought it would that even. It’s a great signal for me that I’m on the right way when I can give a hard time to a top-five player,“ said Štěpánek in Paris. He proved he wanted to succeed in Prostějov by not playing the doubles even though he preliminarily agreed with Jiři Veselý. He wanted to concentrate only on the singles.
“I have always appreciated the tournament in Prostějov. Coming here is like coming home. You have a feeling from the beginning that everybody wishes you success,” said Štěpánek. He received the Winner’s Cup at the Centre Court from the hands of Jiří Kunert, the general manager of UniCredit Bank in 2003, 2004 a 2013. In 2010, he played the finals. Štěpánek is meeting thirty-three year old Paul-Henri Mathieu of France (125th ATP). They have equal head-to-head statistics 3:3. They last played in 2007 on clay in Gstaad and in Wimbledon. The French who was the twelfth player in the world in April 2008 eventually won.
“It is sure to be one of the most attractive matches of today’s programme. Radek pulls the crowd, he plays for them. He has many friends in Prostějov. As the tournament director and Prostějov patriot, I wish him to stay in the tournament as long as possible,” said Petra Černošková. Radek Štěpánek is playing Paul-Henri Mathieue of France in the second match on the Centre Court.
