31.05.2016 17:11:29 | The defending champion Jiří Veselý met Miki Jankovič of Serbia in the first round. The latter one lost to Demolier of Brazil in the third qualification round and made it through to the main event as a lucky loser. He gave Veselý a hard time and the final result of the match was geatly influenced by the Serbian’s cramps and stretched groin...
“I think it really was a bad match on my part. It was terrible from the first to the last ball. The match was more about the head then about performance. I tried to hold my serve and hoped that the opponent would make some mistakes which he finally did. I didn’t want to show such kind of performance. Everything I tried to do went wrong. I could only wait and hope that Jankovič would help me in some way... Tennis is like that sometimes and I’m glad it worked out well for me today. “
Did the uneasy feeling of responsibility of defending the title play any role? “This tournament has always been very special for me. It has always mattered a lot to me and I have always been motivated to succeed here in Prostějov. I’ve won it twice and I’ve been the runner up once. Yes, I want to win and I know that a lot of people support me here. I don’t want to disappoint them and it makes it even harder. The Prostějov Challenger is a matter of heart for me and I will do everything to win. Of course, it is the reason that the start in the tournament is more complicated and difficult for me.“
Veselý had a match point in the second set, but Jankovič disagreed. “I didn’t have the match under control at all. There was nothing I could build on.“
What about the upcoming match against Tipsarevič? “We have never played against each other. He’s surely not the same Tipsarevič he was at the time of his greatest glory. I believe I will play better and better from now on.“
